Finney Blake is a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of no use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer's previous victims. And they are dead-set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.
For some reason I had in my head this was some lame horror movie about a haunted cell phone 👻 📱 . I finally watched it after hearing from a few people that it’s worth watching.
I thought it was great. The time period it was set in, the music, the tension, just the whole vibe was great. It didn’t feel the need to lore dump us and explain everything, which would have certainly been underwhelming. We were just along for the ride, the same as all the characters involved.
Not as scary as I thought it was going to be.
Took my 14 year old son to this screening. Today was his last day of middle school and I think this is the first rated R film I’ve ever taken him to see in the theater. A perfect film for such an occasion. This story has major Stephen King vibes, with adolescent protagonists, children going missing with a supernatural slant. It’s based on a book by Joe Hill who everyone knows is Stephen King’s son. (I actually just found that out). At any rate, it’s a really well executed story. Ethan Hawke is simultaneously creepy and menacing and he dons a Tom Savini mask that has alternate facial expressions. But the leads Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw both really sell their roles and their sibling relationship.
The Black Phone delivers pretty much exactly what you would expect, but in the best way possible. Just don’t watch the trailers, because then you will really know exactly what to expect.
Really fun theatrical experience too. The audience was cheering, screaming and clapping. Highly recommend. (Update: realized we actually took all our kids to see Ambulance which was rated R, so it wasn’t his first theatrical R rated film, but it probably should have been. I think he’ll remember this more than that one.)
can’t lie kinda hyped for the second movie this was good.
some weird parts in this movie but it was better than I thought it was going to be.
I personally think that it's more of a thriller, but a scarier one. Absolutely loved it, Thames and Hawk brutally carry the movie. One of the horrors that have a good ending
I loved the movie so much I really loved when the ghost boys called finney and that finney said his name was Taylor Mullen. Robin (Miguel Mora) needed more screen time. Robin would've had more screen time only if fans didn't leak anything.Anyway movie is amazing, recommendable to watch!
It was good but I don't feel like it needs a second movie.
FINNEY IS SO FINE anyways i love how everything is all tied in together and i just know the second one isn’t gonna even compare but i do know the second is still gonna be really good
👹 In the suburbs, monsters don’t hide. They blend in.
The Black Phone taps into a fear that’s existed since the dawn of suburbia, the unsettling tales of seemingly harmless men who hide behind clown makeup, magician tricks or other child-friendly disguises who prowl quiet neighborhoods in battered vans just to get close to their victims. This story gives us all of that and more. It’s amplified by the presence of restless spirits, children who refuse to fade quietly into the afterlife until the horrors done to them are finally avenged.
Mostly boring, not scary to me. Ethan Hawke and the kids did what they were supposed to acting wise but it just never grabbed my attention. I’ve heard 2 is better so I will be checking it out soon.
It's like Stephen King's It but even more sinister
I enjoyed this on the first watch. Rewatched after part 2 and it seems boring. Lacking actual "horror". While part 2 isn't perfect. It is better.
The Black Phone's a novel concept, and I've always enjoyed horror movies where kids prevail over an evil that adults can't see (like IT, Stranger Things, Nightmare on Elm Street). But, there isn't much horror to behold, really. Kid gets kidnapped, Grabber wants to play "Naughty Boy" with him, and that just peters away into a plot revolving around escaping. Furthermore, there's no real mythos around the Grabber, and that makes him a very one-dimensional villain, and doesn't add much depth.
I really loved this film
One of the first horror movies I watched
I have to say, I enjoy horror movies quite a bit but it’s not often that one makes me cry. This movie is truly one of a kind in my opinion.
Reviews
The Black Phone
Rick reviewed
The Black Phone
June 11, 2025For some reason I had in my head this was some lame horror movie about a haunted cell phone 👻 📱 . I finally watched it after hearing from a few people that it’s worth watching.
I thought it was great. The time period it was set in, the music, the tension, just the whole vibe was great. It didn’t feel the need to lore dump us and explain everything, which would have certainly been underwhelming. We were just along for the ride, the same as all the characters involved.
Kevin Ward reviewed
The Black Phone
July 7, 2025Took my 14 year old son to this screening. Today was his last day of middle school and I think this is the first rated R film I’ve ever taken him to see in the theater. A perfect film for such an occasion. This story has major Stephen King vibes, with adolescent protagonists, children going missing with a supernatural slant. It’s based on a book by Joe Hill who everyone knows is Stephen King’s son. (I actually just found that out). At any rate, it’s a really well executed story. Ethan Hawke is simultaneously creepy and menacing and he dons a Tom Savini mask that has alternate facial expressions. But the leads Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw both really sell their roles and their sibling relationship.
The Black Phone delivers pretty much exactly what you would expect, but in the best way possible. Just don’t watch the trailers, because then you will really know exactly what to expect.
Really fun theatrical experience too. The audience was cheering, screaming and clapping. Highly recommend. (Update: realized we actually took all our kids to see Ambulance which was rated R, so it wasn’t his first theatrical R rated film, but it probably should have been. I think he’ll remember this more than that one.)
2
6
Solymar Romina reviewed
The Black Phone
October 21, 2025I loved the movie so much I really loved when the ghost boys called finney and that finney said his name was Taylor Mullen. Robin (Miguel Mora) needed more screen time. Robin would've had more screen time only if fans didn't leak anything.Anyway movie is amazing, recommendable to watch!
mckayli2 reviewed
The Black Phone
June 25, 2025FINNEY IS SO FINE anyways i love how everything is all tied in together and i just know the second one isn’t gonna even compare but i do know the second is still gonna be really good
2
17
Ecto-1A reviewed
The Black Phone
November 21, 2025👹 In the suburbs, monsters don’t hide. They blend in.
The Black Phone taps into a fear that’s existed since the dawn of suburbia, the unsettling tales of seemingly harmless men who hide behind clown makeup, magician tricks or other child-friendly disguises who prowl quiet neighborhoods in battered vans just to get close to their victims. This story gives us all of that and more. It’s amplified by the presence of restless spirits, children who refuse to fade quietly into the afterlife until the horrors done to them are finally avenged.
ADC8974 reviewed
The Black Phone
February 16, 2026Mostly boring, not scary to me. Ethan Hawke and the kids did what they were supposed to acting wise but it just never grabbed my attention. I’ve heard 2 is better so I will be checking it out soon.
1
2
Ajay reviewed
The Black Phone
January 25, 2026The Black Phone's a novel concept, and I've always enjoyed horror movies where kids prevail over an evil that adults can't see (like IT, Stranger Things, Nightmare on Elm Street). But, there isn't much horror to behold, really. Kid gets kidnapped, Grabber wants to play "Naughty Boy" with him, and that just peters away into a plot revolving around escaping. Furthermore, there's no real mythos around the Grabber, and that makes him a very one-dimensional villain, and doesn't add much depth.
