The Black Phone: Old-fashioned rotary telephone gives goosebumps in son Stephen King’s story | show

The phone in question hangs in a soundproof basement where a creepy magician locks up children picked from the street. Finney, that’s the name of the latest victim of the man known in the Denver suburbs as The Grabber. He is played, very viciously, by Ethan Hawke, who is often cast as a good guy (boyhood), although we only vaguely recognize him behind a collection of masks that are sure to do well at the next Halloween celebration.

That black telephone, although not connected, regularly rings, after which Finney hears voices of people who could help him escape from this death row. There are more supernatural forces at work. It turns out that Finney’s sister also gets useful information through her dreams. It is not very sound, this story of Stephen King’s son Joe Hill. Anyone who doesn’t care about logic and defined rules within this universe will have a great time at The Black Phonein which enough elements – such as the unpredictable Hawke, the grubby visuals and the atonal haunted house music – make for a nervous viewing experience.

And yet, nothing is scarier than a simple phone on the wall that could go off at any moment. Old-fashioned devices (also think of the video tape in The Ring) that cause goosebumps, it is now food for psychologists.

Directed by: Scott Derrickson. Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Jeremy Davies

Watch all our videos about the latest movies and series here: