There are lots of people who are diehard fans of horror movies. But the problem that most of them come across is that they don’t find much scarier or more engaging movies in that genre. I am sure The Exorcism of Emily Rose has been one of the favorites of almost all such horror movie enthusiasts. The director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose is back with another amazing horror thriller film named The Black Phone.
The name itself is enough to create curiosity among the viewers to know exactly what the movie is about. Scott Derrickson is a famous director in the horror and science fiction genre. Fans were pretty sure that he won’t disappoint them. The screenplay of the film is done by C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson. The film is produced by Scott Derrickson, Jason Blum, and C. Robert Cargill.
Joe Hill published a book named 20th Century Ghosts with a set of short stories. The Black Phone is based on one of such short stories named the same. The book was released in October 2005 in the U.K. and in October 2007 in the U.S. All the stories in the book were pretty good.
The Black Phone premiered on September 25, 2021, at the Fantastic. The film was scheduled to be released on January 28, 2022, which was delayed by the makers and was shifted to February 4, 2022. The release date is mentioned as February 4 in the official trailer of the film. The film was later released on June 24, 2022.
After watching the movie, many were curious to know whether the movie was based on a true story or not. As we all know, many films and web series based on the lives and the crimes of many serial killers have been made. This can be one of the main reason that any film related to serial killers are doubted to be somewhat based on some true events.
Is The Black Phone Based On A True Story?
For everyone who wants to know whether The Black Phone is based on a true story or not, the answer is No. The story of the film is not based on a true story or any true events. Some elements in the film are inspired by some true events that occurred in Derrickson’s life.
Some small details in the film like the part where Finney gets bullied something that is based on a true event that had happened in Joe’s life. Bullying is something that many students might have come across in school. Some students are unaware or ignorant of the fact that their acts are actually causing trauma to the victim which can leave a scar on their lives forever. Finney’s abusive father is also something that Derrickson faced as a child.
Talking about the main character of the film- The Grabber. The makers of the film were in many interviews about whether the character of the serial killer in the film is inspired by any serial killer. The character of The Grabber introduced himself as a magician to Finney. After watching the trailer, the first serial killer that comes to one’s mind after watching The Grabber is John Wayne Gacy. He was a part-time clown and one of the scariest killers who hid dead bodies in his house for decades.
The childhood of the writer was in such a place where there was fear of Ted Bundy. Ted Bundy raped and murdered many girls and women in the 1970s. Many serial killings have taken place in the 1970s. The plot of the film is also based in the 1970s. This might also be one of the reasons for the viewers to think of the character of the serial killer being inspired by some serial killer. But the makers have cleared that the movie is not based on any true story or true events.
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Will There Be The Black Phone Part 2?
For all the horror enthusiasts out there, the good news is that we will be getting a sequel to The Black Phone. The film went really well at the box office. It also won an award as the Best Horror Film in the Saturn Awards 2022. The film was nominated for many awards too. The makers had decided that, if the film goes well, they will go for a sequel.
Hill and Derrickson confirmed that there will be a sequel to the film. The announcement was made in August 2022. The reviews for the film are pretty good by both the critics and the makers. The filming process for the sequel hasn’t started yet. Scott Derrickson is currently working on two of his projects. This indirectly means that we have to wait quite a long for the sequel of the film.
The Black Phone Story
The story of The Black Phone is intriguing. If you’re a fan of horror films then you will love the concept of the film. It is a horror thriller film that will keep you hooked to your screens till the movie ends. The movie revolves around Finney and Gwen who are siblings. Their father is an alcoholic and is quite abusive too. The plot of the film is based on the 1970s. The year 1970s is well known as many serial killing cases have happened in those years.
The family lives in the Denver suburb which is constantly in fear of “The Grabber”. He is a serial killer who abducts children and later kills them. Finney is constantly targeted by the bullies in the school. He becomes friends with his classmate named Robin. Robin helps him to face the bullies and he also fends them off. Things start to get worse when children whom Finney knows start to get abducted. Gwen gets psychic dreams and she somewhat sees the children getting kidnapped.
The detectives try to interrogate Gwen in the hope to get some clue as they suspect that she might know something about the kidnapping. Gwen due to the fear of her abusive father does not say anything. The story gets interesting when Finney is kidnapped by “The Grabber”. Finney is locked in a room where he finds a rotary phone which he tries to use but finds out that it is broken. “The Grabber” leaves the door of his room open and when Finney tries to sneak out of the door, the phone rings startling Finney. The voice says that he should not leave the room as this is a trap by “The Grabber”.
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Later on, different voices from the phone start directing Finney’s way out of the house. The chilling fact is that all the helping voices are of the children that have been abducted and killed by “The Grabber”. They all are trying their level best so that Finney’s life does not end the way theirs did. Here, Gwen’s dreams are also helping her to save Finney. The detectives are also trying their level best in finding Finney.
The story is very interesting and will keep you on the edge of your seat, curious to know what will happen next.
The Black Phone Cast
The cast of The Black Phone has done a commendable job in the film. Fans were elated to see Ethan Hawke as The Grabber, a serial killer. Ethan was hesitant in the beginning to play the role of a serial killer but later agreed to play the role as it will be something different from his past roles. The child actors in the film were appreciated a lot by the audience. Mason Thames played the role of Finney Blake, who gets captured by The Grabber. Madeleine McGraw played the role of Gwen, who used to get psychic dreams. Jeremy Davies was seen as Terrence, who was the alcoholic and abusive father of Gwen and Finney.
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The Black Phone Trailer
The trailer of The Black Phone was released on the official channel of Universal Pictures on YouTube. It was released on October 13, 2021. The trailer has a total of 25 million viewers.
The film’s trailer is actually enough to create the necessary hype for the film. The trailer gives you a gist of what the movie is exactly about.
Where To Watch The Black Phone Online?
The Black Phone was released on Amazon Prime Video on December 27, 2022. The film was initially streamed on Peacock. You can watch the film online on Amazon Prime Video.
The Black Phone: Frequently Asked Questions
The Black Phone had a theatrical release on June 24, 2022.
The director of The Black Phone is Scott Derrickson.
The Black Phone is a horror thriller film.
Gwen gets psychic dreams like her mother.
The role of “The Grabber” is played by Ethan Hawke.
No, The Black Phone is not based on any true story.
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