THE BLACK PHONE kind of Failed | Explained

[@aliadrift]

The boy who played Finney was good, but the girl who played Gwen was phenomenal. I was full-on crying when she was crying after being beaten by her father. It tore my heart open.

[@filmfangirls9163]

She deserved a scene where she grabbed the belt and gave him what he deserved.

[@Fishyness18]

I read that the part where they scream at each other “the dreams are just dreams” part was completely improvised!

[@kuhanblock9380]

The kid who plays Finney, Mason Thames looks like Axl Rose

[@ThunderTaker1215]

I personally thought her performance was lackluster. To each their own though 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@sanna9062]

@@ThunderTaker1215 Lackluster? Even in the aforementioned beating scene?!

[@matthewhearn9910]

I think the simplicity of the film was refreshing for a lot of people. Once the kid was in the basement getting phone calls the movie didn't really take any unexpected turns, and it didn't feel like it would have added anything if it did. Not gonna be on my top ten list, maybe my top ten horror list for the year depending how the rest of it goes and what I've missed so far, but it was nice to see this much care put into a genuinely simple and straightforward horror story.

[@StJimmy-hj1bo]

not gonna be on my list but its gonna be on my list potentially

[@rachelchristner8670]

@@StJimmy-hj1bo llo)

[@matthewhearn9910]

Not on my general list but likely to turn up on a list made up only of horror movies. Pretty straight forward.

[@DaviniaHill]

I think Amanda has missed the point, each child calls him to give him small steps to his escape. And the sister has the shine.

[@bradbeen7228]

You could have watched half the movie in the time it took you to watch Amanda. Is a women squawking on a bed for 30 mins, worth more time than watching half the movie.......or doing anything else?

[@amandamoore7512]

Horrifying villain concept? Over the top bullies? A PSYCHIC CHILD?! I 100% believe Hill is King’s son

[@craigusselman546]

Joe looks like what his dad looked like in the 70's and 80s with the beard definately looks like Stephen.

[@dat1ndnguy]

I figured they were both psychic to some degree and thats why Finney could hear the phone.

[@twentywordsorlessYT]

@@craigusselman546 Definitely. My boyfriend and I like to joke that Joe Hill is evidence that the US nailed cloning in the early 1970s and have managed to keep it quiet over the last half-century.

[@thatlemonadeguy6742]

Also an alcoholic father

[@Bala_Niranna]

judging by the comparisons amanda was making to the short story, i have a feeling a bunch of that stuff was added to the movie to make it feel more Kingish to sell better

[@naivenitara]

That scene where the dad was beating his daughter was intense, surprisingly realistic and well-acted. I believed it.

[@LucyLioness100]

That scene was so hard to watch. I just wanted to hug poor Gwen after she is beaten; that silent moment between her and Finney spoke such volumes of the sibling bond without needing dialogue

[@EFP_Actual]

How was that realistic !

[@jasonellis4330]

@@EFP_Actual because it happens? A lot? Just like that?

[@morechickentacos]

@@EFP_Actual congratulations on having a non-abusive childhood, my parents wouldn't send me to school from time to time because i was too bruised from my mom's beatings.

[@riaterzi2826]

It made me break down...

[@froggy5748]

These are genuinely the best child actors I’ve ever seen. Gwen’s actress sobbing while the father screams at her sounded like genuine miserable cries. It broke my heart even though I know it’s fake.

[@intern_dana]

john wayne gacy lied about having multiple personalities as an early part of his defense case, so i wonder if the grabber acting differently with the masks is an allusion to that

[@Chuuzus]

personally i really enjoyed it because the kids gave such an outstanding performances and the movie was straight to the point

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Main kids did such a great job in this and that helps when Ethan's going all in

[@LocalGooberGoobs]

I agree, the kids did phenomenal! I really liked Gwen, she’s persistent, funny, and the actress did a wonderful job. I applaud to the child protagonists, you don’t see good ones every day

[@ashd3162]

Agreeeee movie was so goood

[@jaysony8587]

Sadly all the plot holes & ludicrousy of the film deflates its quality. Pretty solid 3/5…if that.

[@Iggypiggy-gd4jn]

Omg I love your videos I found you because of your black phone reaction!

[@superbatgirl44]

He gave the grabber a fake name and then realizes he lied when the missing info and his photo are published in the paper. It’s subtle, but not a script error

[@orquito7710]

Didn't the grabber say that exact same thing 5 seconds before he said the fake name lol

[@thatlemonadeguy6742]

But he didn't say his name was Josh, he said it was Taylor. Those are different moments.

[@tydune2631]

@@thatlemonadeguy6742 this comment needs more attention. He definitely said his name was like Taylor Mullen or something. Plus when he says that it’s when he thinks The Grabber doesn’t know his name, but he actually did. So if The Grabber knew his name there’s no reason to call him Johnny when he knows it’s Finney

[@slutlmao9254]

@@tydune2631 I feel like Johnny would just be a typical slang name to call a boy in the 70's.

[@wifebeatwr]

@@orquito7710 LMAO literally. after finney said his name was taylor i was losing my shit cause the grabber just told him that he skimmed the papers looking for info about the kids

[@pongo5000]

My friend liked it but complained that she wanted to see more focus on the Grabber which really surprised me because the less focus on him and more on these kids was what I really loved about the movie. I watch a lot of true crime but try to stick to people who give a lot of emphasis to the victims and their lives so it doesn't just become all about the murderer and most movie's and horror don't care that much about them and tend to put all the focus on the bad guy. So I found this take really refreshing. I also think the less we saw of the Grabber and the more implication there was to his story the more foreboding the movie became.

[@a.williams-mccray4483]

Amanda not letting the "toilet tank lid as a weapon" thing go now lives in my head and I'm ok with that.

[@obesekaren]

it’s a stupid idea. finny would have to stand by the door waiting for hours holding a heavy toilet lid waiting for the grabber to open the door when he has no idea when the next time the grabber would open the door. atp finny would have to give up or he’d daze off by the door which is just an uncomfortable situation

[@hierophantpurple5163]

@@obesekaren Yeah and cause the basement is soundproof Finney wouldn't even be able to wait to hear him come down so its not like he could wait by the door, with the lid on the floor or at his feet, waiting to lift and swing. Also there's a huge height difference between him and the Grabber. Would he even be able to get a good swing at his head from that angle?

[@obesekaren]

@@hierophantpurple5163 yes that’s exactly another reason why it wouldn’t work! also with the height difference he could try💀 or maybe go for legs first then strike again but realistically it’s just not plausable

[@janhavi1977]

@@obesekaren Agreed. It is a stupid idea. People don't realize that it's not super easy to kill someone. Most people can't do it unless they are pushed into it and have no choice. Adrenaline does most of the work as far as strength is concerned and you are operating solely on survival instinct. You're not thinking about attacking the person, you just are because you have to. It's not easy to just walk up to someone and then attack them.

[@jacquelinecallejas1390]

I understand her frustration but I disagree it would have been a slam dunk. The toilet lid is heavy especially for a 13 yo boy. Chances are he could not wield it very well. If he didn't wield it quickly and powerfully the Grabber would have a good shot of just taking it from him. Picture a little kid trying to wield a giant claymore. He might not even be able to lift it. Granted there is inconsistancy in that he did use it for digging but I think it would have been difficult to do in real life. I though the movie was better than Amanda thought it was but to each their own.

[@tuckershuff1441]

(Spoilers) My whole theatre cheered at the whoopin at the end. Nothing more satisfying than a gross killer getting the beatdown of a lifetime. Also, I hope this gives Joe Hill more attention. He's a pretty good author whose work may echo that of his dad, but they're usually his own thing. A few years ago Daniel Radcliffe starred in HORNS, another adaptation of one of his books. I'm pulling for Mike Flanagan to come out and do an adaptation of THE FIREMAN.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Yeah I wish I could have seen that moment with a crowd - it was badass

[@tuckershuff1441]

@@AmandaTheJedi I really liked how it took all the previous attempts at escape and worked them into the final hail mary. If they didn't do that I think everything prior would've felt pointless.

[@jun2damax]

@@tuckershuff1441 that was the thing I LOVED, that it made the failed attempts have a purpose. Making everything full circle

[@kat8295]

Same. Theatre cheered when the perve got killed and the boy walked out. I loved all the kids cussing the bad guy out at the end. I felt it gave some emotional closure for the kids.

[@LocalGooberGoobs]

Yes! I wanted to clap for that scene too! I couldn’t do it out loud, but I was damn well hollering in my head. It was extremely satisfying, and it made me want to read the original

[@nick-sl3mc]

"he was an idiot... but he was my idiot" that is the best line from any horror villain

[@PaxIesus]

One of my best friends worked set design on this film. Me and a whole bunch of her other friends showed up at the theater to support her first time in the credits. She gave us hilarious behind-the-scenes info on a lot of stuff - for instance, the bottle you mentioned? Apparently production was trying to get the rights to 7-UP or Mellow Yellow (can't remember which), and they couldn't get it in time, so they made a custom label. (in the flashback with the Eddie Munson lookalike kicking the crap out of the one kid in the convenience store, my friend also designed the comic book covers in the display. For a BRIEF second, you can see "The Defecator:" A green and yellow cover with a squatting superhero, that was one of the funniest things I'd seen in years. She's got a ....puckish sense of humour) I really enjoyed the movie. Obviously, the hero victim isn't a genius, but he's a far cry better than most Horror movie heroes.

[@petrusraymond1560]

Thanks for the info! Great stuff

[@bird347]

Bruh not every metal head is an “Eddie Munson lookalike” 💀 but cool info!

[@wifebeatwr]

@@bird347 fr and he was def more of a billy lookalike

[@kat8295]

I loved this movie and I think it got a lot of praise because of a few things. 1) There are SO many stories right now where the bad guy is ambiguous, misunderstood, and not really the bad guy. Its been overdone at this point. So having a bad guy where he is indisputably the worst mf around was a nice call back to classic cinema. Sometimes you just need a movie where the little guy kicks the bad guys ass. I think this is more important now more than ever where so many people feel politically and economically powerless that this trope is probably going to make a comeback. 2) Nostalgia. Because of the powerlessness people feel, so many movies are based in the 60s to 80s now where it felt like a "simpler time" for boomer, x'er, and millennial audiences. 3) The acting. Holy shit. These kids put their heart and soul in this. 4) There are a lot of movies about people being kidnapped and the victim has to help fend for themselves. This was one of the few movies I could think of where "it takes a village" and a whole bunch of other victimized people helped each other out right under the bad guys nose. Again, with people feeling disempowered these days, I think it struck a visceral cord with people. Not everyone's cup of tea, but from what I can tell, the cinema trends are pretty revealing of what people need emotionally right now.

[@fuzzyapple]

Your points are valid, but you should also consider that this movie has been in production for way longer than the recent developments in the USA. I think it's way less deep than that. Many horrormovies get a 70s/80s/90s setting, because modern technology would solve the conflict.

[@carrotman]

@@fuzzyapple I don't know how we're defining recent developments. From what Wikipedia says it looks like at the very earliest, the film was starting the planning in October 2016. So that'd put it on Trump's election. I'm sure a lot of people felt like he was a big bad guy, they were disempowered and they needed team up and work together to get through this. Obviously the pandemic made being locked up more relatable. If that's what you mean. I think there's definitely a huge cathartic aspect to this though.

[@catelynh1020]

I agree with the oversaturation of ambiguous villains. Don't get me wrong, I do actually enjoy ambiguous villains and even villains that are villains only because someone else said so. Mxtx's books are a great example of that. Wei wuxian kinda maybe went on a spree that cemented the label of villain, but he was at least partially forced into the role. Sure, Hua cheng is viewed as a villain by literally everyone except for Xie lian who he did everything for. But the books also have big baddies who are just plain evil with no redemption, which is what makes it easier to digest. And to be absolutely fair, I do also appreciate movies that lack overt villains, too. Pixar has been really good with this, but even disney has strayed more towards this as well. Heck, Encanto's "villain" was familial expectations. But sometimes I enjoy the black and white justice of older films and I'm glad we're getting a few more of those again.

[@ango8466]

Yes the 4!! I noticed and loved that too. I am tired of the super lead that does and solves everything on his/her own. It is way more realistically finding the tools other victims left on the scene and using their ideas all together (and at the final battle).

[@julesrules7297]

You really made solid points, I hadn't even considered #1.

[@forceexogenesis5397]

So it finally happened. First time I disagree with your take. I loved the movie. It was simple, well executed, atmospheric, and surprisingly emotional. Top notch.

[@liilyanarose]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@curvygirllalaflame]

same

[@CriticalFangirl]

I personally LOOOOOVED IT! Ethan Hawke was terrifying, I was invested, and THERE WERE SMART DECISIONS!

[@GamingExpert9990]

I agreee. I never have been so invested with a film

[@CriticalFangirl]

@@GamingExpert9990 And kids usually make the dumbest decisions in horror films, but Finny made all the right choices. It reminded me of 10 Cloverfield Lane.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

Ethan was definitely terrifying!

[@Blech-h9z]

Nobody seems to make smart decisions in horror movies. Maybe that's why they're so popular (I sure love em) we are all just one stupid decision from ...Ted Bundy/Jeffrey Dahmer victim. Read the story (Joe Hill is one of the greats) haven't seen the flick. But maybe I will, thanks Critical Fangirl! Oh all pedophiles think the kids are into it. That's why rehabilitation doesn't work. Have to lock them up and hope for an accidental/brutal death. I ramble. It's weird that "Fox on the Run" is on the same album as "Ballroom Blitz". The toilet tank lid thing is not going to work for a kid. Too heavy. They might be lighter now, but my house has an OG, and when I was kid I could barely lift it. Just like phones (still have the OG) were heavy, you really could bash someone's head in with them. Geez, I'm old.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

@@CriticalFangirl this comment reminded me of one my fav horror moments that's from The Babysitter film series is the shirtless guy hyping up the kid to be a badass that ends up killing him twice

[@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155]

Other than the tone problems, I really enjoyed this movie. The cast(especially Gwen and The Grabber) was phenomenal

[@AmandaTheJedi]

it's so weird how much I enjoyed the sister but hated her role in the story - Hawke nailed the role, just needed to take things further in my opinion

[@Riaah_love]

It’s the grabber 😡

[@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155]

@@Riaah_love okay.

[@Riaah_love]

@@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155 That was a joke, sorry if it came off as rude

[@arrow_of_ravenclaw5155]

@@Riaah_love I was a little concerned since I’ve run into crazed fans before but if it’s a joke it’s all chill

[@kevinw4267]

What piss me off was when the detective arrived at the scene, they didn’t even manage to look across the street to see a big a** black van parking in the garage!

[@Iggypiggy-gd4jn]

At that stage the detectives couldn’t know that the kidnapper had a van or that it was black and it wasn’t overly suspicious in that time period plus they were trusting Gwen

[@Theunfathomable0]

I really liked it, I liked it’s focus on the victim and the victims and showing them overcoming adversity instead of trying to solve this mystery around this nasty bad guy. Sometimes you don’t solve every issue, or know all the backstory and that is what you’ll have to live with.

[@GrayAcre]

I won't lie, I kind of loved this movie. For one, even with the abuse scene and it being about a child killer, it's not exploitative. For two, the vagueness gives an "oh shit" atmosphere- like what are the motives, what do the masks mean, when will the phone ring again and is it ringing for real? You really don't know any more than Finney in those terms. Also it captures the violence and adult absence of that era. At least from the stories my mom tells me of growing up in a poor neighborhood in the 70s-80s, kidnappings and murders were as commonplace as household abuse and fight clubs. Sidenote: No for real, how would he have explained sitting in a chair in the kitchen, shirtless, holding a belt and wearing a weird ass mask to his coked out brother? God I hated the brother part, it was just comedic filler but made no sense.

[@honestlynotsponsored]

"How would he have explained sitting in the kitchen, shirtless, holding a belt, and wearing a weird ass mask to his coked out brother?" I think the 70s were just like that 🤔

[@karmarose6332]

I think the coked out brother who thinks he is working with the police was more like present day true crime KZbinrs on uppers. Some of them really act like they are working with the police doing 10 hour live streams accusing every person in town from the mail man to the principal.

[@peytoncooley8778]

I really liked the changes that the movie made with the sister vs how it was in the book. While there were some problems with it taking away from the tension, the changes to give Gwen psychic abilities and a backstory to how she inherited them made it seem to me like Finney also inherited some of their mom's gift and that's why he could see the ghost, whereas in the book Finney being able to hear the calls was explained as the basement being supernatural in some way and he was just able to hear the spirit of Bruce Yamada because he'd been in there for so long. And the part of the book about his sister finding the home through tarot just felt very random to me. Amanda's interpretation of the book was that Finney hallucinated the call/vision of his sister, which is an interesting take, but not one I got from the story while reading the first time, so I don't blame the movie for expanding more on Gwen's abilities and how Finney was able to see the ghost.

[@propogandalf]

Thanks for providing some book insight. I think Finney having some psychic element either through his mom or sister's efforts makes the most sense. Especially since Bruce said the phone always rings but he's the first to hear it.

[@ango8466]

@@propogandalf why the grabber hears it tho?

[@janhavi1977]

Actually at the end of the book one of the dead kids tells Finnney that his sister did get the vision and that it wasn't just a hallucination.

[@camdonking1919]

Just remember this is Stephen King's son and many of Kings characters have The shining.

[@jamesknapp64]

9:30 its actually shocking how often that people get kidnapped in broad daylight in nice residential areas, with NO witnesses. That is actually sadly believable.

[@KirbyIsCute]

Yeah, it does sound like the movie has flaws yet somehow, I still wanna see it. Seeing good child actors in a horror movie reminds me of the good parts of IT. Plus the Grabber seems so creepy and disturbing. Also the fact that the Grabber gets taken down in such a satisfying way makes me want to watch it more. Too many horror movies have the killer get away scot free but seeing the bad guy, especially a child murder, get his just deserts... hell yeah, I wanna see that!

[@paris5023]

I don’t know if you’ve seen it already but it was definitely worth watching!! It has it’s flaws but really loved it!

[@blaze14ZX]

I appreciate your opinion but I really liked this movie. The jump scares good and not overused. The killer's brother was a weird aspect of the movie and the sister was a riot fest. Overall a good movie.

[@jaysony8587]

It wasn’t an opinion tho, she literally backed up the inconsistencies & plot holes all throughout the movie . . . pretty sub-par film.

[@kf2405]

@@jaysony8587 this movie isn’t just objectively bad lol. She wasn’t giving PROOF that it was bad or something, just backing up her opinion with reasons for why she felt that way. Having “evidence” doesn’t automatically make an opinion a fact lol

[@jaysony8587]

@@kf2405 uhm yeah it does. That’s what “evidence” does lol. Turns something into the truth

[@Itsshayshorty]

I thought the phone trick was a better weapon for Finn’s build to be honest. Using a toilet lid could have tired him out or he wouldn’t have been able to use the lid to its full potential while going head on with a man twice his size. Finn’s main strength is mainly in his right arm. Even though the Grabber was stuck, he could’ve have easily blocked or disabled a blow from the lid since he is physically stronger than Finn. The home alone trick and Robin’s experience with the Grabber/strategy worked for Finn because it allowed him to adjust to the situation and get an advantage like David vs Goliath so to speak. I love your vids, keep up the dope work!!!!

[@Whatlander]

Yeah, It's hard to imagine a small child getting more than one swing in with a heavy object. It works as a sledgehammer because he doesn't need to fend off a grown man while hitting the wall. Using the phone, advice from his friend, and the baseball throwback felt more believable, and helped with tying all the little bits of information together.

[@dramamine6199]

i liked it - the jump scares worked for everyone in the theatre and the ending which was fun to experience. but i don’t think i liked it as a HORROR, more like supernatural thriller. i would expect it to be much darker and graphic for a horror. i do agree with some of your points though. anyways, love your videos amanda !

[@flickswithnic]

I had a completely different take on this movie lol I viewed them both has psychic but the brother just wasn’t as tapped in as the sister was. I also viewed the kids different ways of trying to help him escape as them setting him up for taking the killer out at the end and that’s why they repeated the same lines they said to finney. I do think the abuse from the father was kinda a weird B plot but other than that, I really enjoyed this movie!

[@lightworthy]

they actively explain in the phone calls no one else has been able to hear the phone, even though it was ringing, just the grabber, so i thought it was explicit that he has some sort of psychic abilities because of their mom!

[@laiiinicole]

how is it a weird B plot

[@skye2578]

Ive been pretty socially reclusive for years and i went out to see this with online friends who i was meeting for the first time. i hadnt hung out with anyone in 6 or so years so this was a big deal to me. this movie is important to me and i really liked it. i liked it as MOVIE but not as a HORROR movie. its nice if you dont expect much.

[@randomsarcasm2022]

Congrats on going out. I hope you go out more! The world is a beautiful place.

[@curnies]

As a socially anxious person, this made my heart whoop!

[@rx500android]

As someone with social anxiety, I'm really proud of you!

[@Wraiven22]

Proud of you!

[@lizc6393]

I want to echo the love and support in these responses... Proud of you!

[@dizzydaydreamwishes]

The idea of the little girl's visions being of the past and Fin actually not being alive would have been a great twist! To the point of the toilet seat, I honestly feel like the boy was too slight to truly get a good enough forceful swing at a correct height in order to knock the grabber out. Because as we can see by that shirtless shot, the grabber isn't a week person, especially compared to a child. Even if Fin was strong enough, and he could miraculously strike with that strength over a foot higher than his own height, I think that the boy's biggest obstacle would be believing he could do it. A tactic that child snatchers use is making the kids truly believe that they have no way of escaping. If you look into Elizabeth Smart, she had several opportunities where she could have not only ran away, but she could have told a stranger who she was. There were multiple strangers who came up to her asking if she was Elizabeth Smart and she told them no every time, because she believed that the people that took her would go back to her house and kill her family. Was that a realistic belief? Maybe, I mean after all they did take her from her house. But is it a certainty? Not necessarily. However, she stayed with her captors based off of an assumption where she felt she couldn't afford to be wrong. So the real question is: would Finn have believed that he could knock the grabber out without incapacitating him first?

[@stevegeorge6880]

What I've gotten from most of the reviews from people in my rough age group is that the recreation of a sense of time and place is so well done that it can more or less carry the movie through whatever knots the plot has. Incidentally, Joe Hill is also the kid in the framing device in creepshow. You're welcome.

[@FunFilmFare]

In other words : nostalgia bait ⏰ 🪝 🐠

[@BrandonJames2016]

I never read the short story but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and it’s okay if you didn’t love this film like me and a lot of others. Ethan Hawke as the grabber was amazing, the kid cast were also pretty good, I really liked the story, the character development mainly with Finney, the comedy was pretty good, it somehow got me to cry and the jumpscares got me.

[@taylorgrace3132]

I loved it, but I had a panic attack. It triggered my ptsd, but my friend and I still liked it 😅

[@vampireguy2967]

Character development with Finni? Didn't the ghosts tell hi exactly what to do to stand up for himself the whole film?

[@BrandonJames2016]

@@vampireguy2967 how else was he gonna escape cause let’s be honest if this was real he would’ve died. Even with the piece of the toilet he could’ve used as a weapon it’s not guaranteed the grabber couldn’t just dodge it or brought a different weapon like a gun. He went from a bullied kid to someone confident enough to defend himself to not rely on others.

[@taylorgrace3132]

@@vampireguy2967 I like to view the ghosts more as visual example than actual ghosts. For the most part, everything the victims had done could eventually be found by Finney. The ghosts mainly just pointed them out.

[@shosc16]

The jump scares were so lazy and cheap. The rest of the movie is aight though

[@MrPuzzleCodes]

13:20 i always assumed that the dead kids' siprits were talking to finney, encouraging him to kill the killer, cause the spirits would be trapped in this world until they finish their mission, well, killing the killer. And after that the spirits would be free from this world or something

[@katyaochoa]

I personally really enjoyed this movie. It reminded me of It and Lovely Bones and episodes of criminal minds. I think the movie also stuck with me because it brought up memories of cold cases I read through when I was in college studying forensic anthropology. Especially cold cases involving missing children or children's bodies that weren't identified. I actually cried during the movie when it showed the kids getting kidnapped (I'm also a super emotional person I cry watching Grey's anatomy). Overall I enjoyed the movie and I loved that there was finally a recent scary horror movie that wasn't gory. Just my opinion though and I respect your opinion and I like that you went into detail about everything in your video.

[@binidini9335]

I absolutely loved the movie. Was totally creeped out by the grabber, him sitting by the door will haunt me in my nightmares for a long time. I did not want to get surprised, no twist and turns (although... his brother.. the house, did surprise me), I just wanted the end to play out exactly like it did. I was so frickin satisfied by this, words cannot describe it. And as mentioned before, loved the acting.

[@along3570]

I thought the sister's story was meant to mirror the brother's story thematically. The brother is in a helpless situation, hoping for his sister to save him, and the sister is hoping for Jesus/God to help her. They both do get outside help on unexpected ways, either supporting an atheist ontology or a panentheistic one alien to both characters. The fact that the brother escapes without the sister's help seemed to be a statement about the importance of fighting for one's self whether or not others will help you. It wasn't done well, but that's why I didn't feel deflated at the climax. I was just like, oh, that's the thesis.

[@snooge13]

Side note, got the impression during the grabber + Finny’s second talk (when the Grabber is lamenting about complications) that his brother Max had recently showed up and started crashing at his house. So I didn’t think Max had been there the whole time when the other boys were kidnapped

[@maomi1852]

He wasn't... I the movie max even stated that being there was recent and temporary.

[@maewinter1531]

The dog doesn't look CGI, that's just a black Cane Corso. They look like that.

[@a.mthewolfkid6157]

I watched The Black Phone with my family awhile back and at some point my brother made a joke about the Grabber possibly going "oh shit, did I forget to lock the kid in the basement?" which just made the rest of the experience so much better.

[@tmntaddict]

My summer school schedule has prevented me from seeing 99% of anything and because my brain doesn't always do its job, I initially thought this was a phone company ad on Twitter.

[@theg8one]

Lemon Sprite was actually the original name for Sprite. I actually thought it was a great placement. Most people have no clue about the original name of sprite.

[@waltascher]

Not according to Wikipedia: “The lemon-lime drink known today as Sprite was developed in West Germany in 1959 as Fanta Klare Zitrone ("Fanta Clear Lemon" in English) and was introduced in the United States under the Sprite name in 1961 as a competitor to 7 Up.”

[@zkarebear]

Amanda being obsessed with the toilet tank lid is SENding me 😆

[@cheshireshadow518]

"Jesus what the fuck?" is the funniest shit BHGDFBHGFDBHGD

[@certified_mandy]

I felt that in my soul 😂

[@carrotman]

15:30 yeah my dad put that down to Max living in the house opposite. Which the more I think about it, the more that makes sense. We know the house is empty at the end but that's after the brother has gone to investigate the main house's basement, the grabber isn't afraid of waiting upstairs all night with the mask, yet the brother lives close enough to hear the fighting, it would make sense you can hear the barking and struggle from across the road though.

[@sethbane9861]

Don’t know if it was intentional, but I like that the movie ended with Finney telling the girl she can call him “Fin”. Like “fin”? End of the movie “fin”? 😅

[@camilab2430]

When the grabber took Finney he was wearing glasses aside from the paint so he always has something covering a part of his face and that's why it made some sense to me when he freaked out while losing the mask there at the end

[@tomatoes100]

I liked that running on a treadmill scene. Kinda symbolized the gut wrenching feeling

[@micaelasparrow650]

The first time I saw a teaser trailer for this film as a KZbin add I thought it was going to turn out to be an insurance add or something, not a real movie.

[@LiamAmazarashi]

I think if you look at it as a revenge movie this is a great piece to watch. We hear so many sad stories when it comes to serial killers, especially with kids, so them getting some sort of peace via Finney felt very emotional to me. I also think the Mother having 'abilities' of seeing and hearing things probably means that it was split between the two kids. I think it was a really great movie withe right amount of suspense but I do see your points (for example the police asking a little girl to help, like?!)

[@brandiarmstrong2902]

When I saw it the first time, I spaced out such that I thought the Grabber was just Max coked up, altered mental states-style. Then when Max turned out to actually be the Grabber's literal brother, it made a lot more sense, but it still would be intriguing to make the coke mess with the Grabber's mind, instead of making Max exist for real.

[@grapeshot]

Yep wonder if that mask will become as iconic as certain other masks in the horror movie genre.

[@AmandaTheJedi]

The mask setup is super cool, i liked that it was designed in sections

[@AKillerOmen]

Fin hearing the phone also tied into the fact that the father even said their mother heard voices and things. Both kids go the mothered gifts basically, and got help from those gifts to save finny.

[@itswilbur3747]

I loved the setting and the general atmosphere. The retro feel was great. I just found that The Grabber didn't quite fit. Ethan Hawke was brilliant as usual, but the mask was a bit too bizarre. Like fitting a modern James Wan type creature into a 70s/80s era horror.

[@Luna-md4qe]

im totally with you about his lack of using ANY weapons at all (the bottles? Hello?) That completely took me out 😭😭😭

[@hierophantpurple5163]

The Grabber was wearing a mask to protect his face though, and he has a height advantage where Finney might not be able to reach his neck or anything. Most he could do his probably stab him in the stomach or leg and those wouldn't incapacitate him, unless he went for the Achilles

[@LavenderSkyla]

This movie was haunting. The sort of jump scare was so well done it actually got me. He saved himself and actually didn't need his sister. But the whole their mom was connected to the unknown and only he was able to hear the phone and talk to the dead. It was heartbreaking, chilling, nostalgic and had a very good ending.

[@jamp2770]

I felt the same the movie was so close to being amazing, but small choices just left me feeling it was okay. Had all the potential to be easily one of the greatest thriller movies. The ending for me was so disappointing almost felt rushed through and destroyed all suspense of the Grabber. The point you spoke of summed up the poor ending, the Grabber states his going to take his time to ensure Finn feels every bit of pain, but then swings for his head with the 🪓. Throughout the movie Finn seemed to have way to much time and trust from the Grabber to attempt all these escape attempts with know disruption and then the end turned into a dark home alone.

[@karriezai73]

Spoilers Lol I was also really mad about the toilet tank lid. Something my husband pointed out that hadn't occurred to me in the moment, though, was that when he was sneaking past the dozing creep in the kitchen to get to the lock, he could have just grabbed a kitchen knife and taken him out in his sleep, too. I'm a little less bothered by that since I can see it not occurring to a kid (hell, it didn't occur to me), but yeah. The toilet tank lid. What the hell.

[@ruzywuzy]

the kid needed to make the grabber fall into the pit to even throw a punch, the toilet tank lid would only have worked if the kid was tall enough to hit the grabber with it in the head. i'm annoyed at everyone saying how great of a weapon it would have made bc no, that's what sounds dumb to me 😭

[@karriezai73]

@@ruzywuzy Yeah the height difference would be tough, not to mention the mass difference. He could reach the snatcher's head with the toilet tank lid I think (they're generally 1.5-2 feet long), but how effective would it be? I hadn't really considered that, good point.

[@ruzywuzy]

@@karriezai73 yeah and finney getting curious over balloons makes sense too,, i can see myself reacting like that in the face of danger as a grown adult but then looking back and regretting it, idk 👀

[@sofresh2563]

0000

[@Wolfbane382]

I loved this movie! I don't know why you think there wasn't a lot of tension when there was plenty of it. But I'm also a parent so of course, I see this from a different POV than you did. I can tell you this is any parent's worst nightmare so believe me I was cheering for Finny, I wanted to take that belt back to the dad and teared up when Finny finally got to talk to Robbin.

[@Scorpion_pit]

I graded it on a horror movie curve because of how easy and standard it is to just screw up suspense/horror especially a blumhouse one.... that being said I felt it was on the better side and didn't lean too hard in trying to be more than it was. it's no Oculus (personal favorite) but it sure is better than most suspense/horror movies we get that aren't from Jordan

[@wheelsndealz]

I think I feel the same you do. I can't really get into a movie if there is a blatantly obvious solution to the problem that just gets ignored. I couldn't stand Multiverse of Madness for the same reason.

[@GalinaEv]

i don't think he could use the leed because all the begining of the movie shows that he was unable to fight/hurt anyone, just run and hide or take the beating. all the movie he was trying to just run away, and only at they end after everything he grows to stand up for himself. also i think Amanda is wrong - dad didn;t learn anything and the kids know thats why they look at each other like that.

[@oh.....5075]

It's more of a thriller with a splash of horror then it is a true horror movie. I thought the movie was really good. Ethan Hawk played a good werido his mask was the difference how he was able to express his differnt moods. Good movie not scarey but creepy 😳

[@karasanghera3693]

I had really high hopes for this movie, but after watching it I gave it a 6.5/10. The kids were awesome, and it had such a good premise. But because the villain wasn’t well flushed out, it was hard to consider it as a phenomenal movie. There were so many quirks to Ethan Hawke’s character - such as when one of the children (Bruce I think?) said that only the Grabber could hear the phone - that were just never explained. This would have added to the supernatural component and I think it was something we definitely needed an explanation for. Also the fact that all of Fin’s escape attempts would have been so obvious when Ethan walked in the room should have already labeled him as a “bad boy” but I guess that was looked over. There were a lot of other plot holes too, such as the brother figuring out that it was EXACTLY their house that held Finny (based on parameters of where the children were taken I guess) didn’t make sense because that’s not how it works. But like Amanda said, it was SO close but it just missed the mark. I was astounded to see that so many people rated this 10 stars, but to each their own and if you really liked it, that’s totally cool! It’s just that I feel that our standards for horror movies have dropped off a little… Anyway, great vid Amanda!!

[@urarakasupremecist5671]

Honestly the fact that they focused on the kids more than the kidnapper is really refreshing. All the time, people have been trying to figure out why people would do such horrible things. People are obsessed with the fact that there's a reason why people do horrible things. We see it all the time in media. It's exactly why people find the most menacing diabolical villains cool because they show a little bit of charisma. but sometimes people are just disgusting horrible psychos and there's no huge backstory. sometimes people are just bad. and the movie does a great job at that. I want to see the kid get away from the kidnapper. not the reason behind the kidnapping.

[@karasanghera3693]

@@urarakasupremecist5671 I definitely wouldn't argue with this, and I guess it does say a lot about people's mindsets going into horror movies when they want to figure out the killer's motivations. I just think that if they were to go this route, they could have taken out some details that would have hinted towards a deeper meaning, such as the Grabber covering his face when Finny rips off his mask. By leaving this in, it kind of leaves a loose end in the story, and not in a way that is necessarily good from a story-telling POV. But I do see your point, because the victims should always be given priority when discussing crime stories.

[@marcusmelancon3426]

I think the grabber has a similar power that to really the only way he would’ve been able to hear it as well and I think he was abused to since he said the phone hadn’t worked since he was a kid down there so something probably happened which also may explain the brother doing drugs and I think the brother figured it out because like is said the grabber had to live in that area and the grabber was acting weird and was going in the basement and wouldn’t let him go down there so if they were also tortured or held down there when they were kids for whatever reason that may of been what made it click in his head that it was the house

[@afinecuppatea]

Pretty sure, right before I fall asleep tonight, I’m gonna hear “BUT HE COULD HAVE JUST USED THE TOILET COVER” x’D Stay amazing (and hilarious) Amanda!

[@filmfangirls9163]

This comment needs more likes 🤣

[@payt00n]

I WAS SCREAMING THAT THE WHOLE MOVIE

[@aliciamaradiaga486]

People liked it so much that me and my friend were super hyped up to see it- and both of us were so disappointed 😅 This video makes me feel validated lol I think the actors were pretty great, but the plot with the sister bored me so much and the phone calls felt corny 😭 Genuinely can’t believe how much people praise it lol

[@lalaverdecia]

This was my first time seeing a horror movie in theaters, so I guess my opinion on it is much better then others. And you don’t see many happy endings in horror films anyway so I’d see that as a plus!

[@AmandaTheJedi]

I did like that he got out at the end for sure! I think I might have enjoyed this more if I had seen it with a really engaged audience

[@DonnaCPunk]

Haven't seen it yet but based on your compare and contrast to the book, it sounds like if they'd just fleshed out the book story in a different way, it wouldve been great. Might've gone with the legit psychic sister aspect to beef up the main female book lead. I might check it out. I did watch a couple reviews on it since horror isn't a genre I care much about but the massive praise made me curious.

[@Levi-rc8kh]

My favorite scene was at the end when the kid says *"It's Phonin Time!",* and starts phoning the ever loving crap out of the bad guy. Everyone started clapping and shedding tears of joy after witnessing that absolute cinematic spectacle.

[@fonttalk8065]

I didn't hate this movie but I definitely agree the B plot is a mess, and because of that it makes it harder to overlook the underwritten parts of the A plot

[@maomi1852]

Really? The movie seemed pretty clean and easy to follow for me.

[@ashv9565]

When all the plans like, come together to help him get out, it really felt like oh. It's an escape room. Like there were obvious things you could've done that would work in reality, but this is an escape room. So you have to do these random things that no one would've thought to do in order to get piece a for part b.

[@mlk0-0]

I really loved it, and Mason and Madeline did wonderfully; they have bright futures in acting. Some parts got a bit too real for me, and my intense motherly nature and hatred for peope who hurt kids made it a bit rough, but that's good film-wise. I think they took the short story, which I would actually call bad, and made it a lot more of what the idea could be. And the score, visuals, and effects with the ghosts were all beautifully done. I've wanted to watch Finney be a very strong, very smart kid again ever since we left the theatre 💀

[@kamiko_kourteva]

I actually really enjoyed the movie. As a parent, it kept me up at night. Also, I'm pretty sure the dog wasn't CGI lol. It's what the breed is supposed to look like when cropped. It's a Cane Corso!

[@Guille-rz5bk]

Hi Amanda, I went to see it with my friend, and we both enjoyed it, its pace was nice and it didn't seem to take long to explain things, which we dread. The only thing we knew was about the kidnapped kids and their spirits talked through the black phone, over all, it was fine, enjoyed the finale and Finny's growth through his friend's death

[@dirkvader1522]

Note to self: toilet bowl lid is a weapon I can use in case I got abducted. LoL. Awesome insight Amanda. I enjoyed the movie.

[@thunderspikes4064]

0:46 I don't know what you expected this wasn't meant ro be franchise. It wasn't made to be the movie of the century. If you watch movies having that mentality you're not gonna enjoy many movies. Just enjoy it.

[@juliepandora]

I really liked this movie. I did feel the middle was a little slow but Ethan Hawke's creepiness kept me into it. I think the simplicity of the movie makes it a good one for young horror fans. I know I would have been into this in my pre-teens. I do understand all the critiques, they are valid. I still enjoyed the movie a lot.

[@Optimism211]

ugh i hope this isn't one of those pages that finds a problem with every single film

[@katherineeaster5799]

I remember when I first saw the trailer and it looked like it showed you the whole movie.

[@Religion0]

The sister going "Jesus, what the fuck?" was hilarious.

[@catscatsca]

Honestly, when Finny was talking to his sister and to Robin throughout the movie, that was the biggest issue I had because it felt SO MUCH like they were just reading lines back and forth not actually having a conversation. The flow and timing was off and the way they were talking was always so weird so it just took me out of the film so much. Also, that first time when Finny escaped I was screaming at the screen for him to use the bottles, smash them over the grabber's head, stab him in the neck w his little rocket thing and just get out of there. He just went completely unarmed when at that point he had SO MANY weapon choices. Or how he could have broken through the wall NEXT TO the freezer, not INTO IT, like I get what they were trying to do but it was just so impractical and not what anyone with any semblance of common sense would do.

[@Winedrunk2lulah]

“Jesus, what the fuck” goes so hard I ain’t even gone lie

[@vulpixle9659]

Even Beverly from IT used the toilet lid as a weapon against her father

[@filmfangirls9163]

That's what I was thinking!!

[@itsmainelyyou5541]

Yeah, I liked it. The horror of the ones you love is the undercurrent in some of Hill's stories. It deliberately makes you continue to make the uncomfortable juxtaposition between the two. I'm older so maybe it hit different, but the sister running in place was a common dream fear of the time period. Childhood terror. Also the grabber thing (creepy white van)was something we talked about as kids in the 80's because it was pushed as something we should be afraid of and thought of all the stuff we'd do to get away, instead of the real danger in many of our own lives. It's hard to explain clearly.

[@filmfangirls9163]

Thank you!! Finally someone who didn't like it just as much as I didn't. So many people praising this film. And I mean let them love what they want! But it's nice to see I'm not the only one lol

[@HikariHolic]

i think you'll find that people on letterbox agree with you!

[@filmfangirls9163]

@@HikariHolic really? I've seen nothing but high praise! Which I don't mean to ruin anyone's fun! It's just nice to see I'm not alone lol I tend to dislike a lot of recent horror. The last recent horror I liked (which I consider a diamond in the rough) was Spree.

[@BrandonJames2016]

@@filmfangirls9163 did you like X from A24?

[@dragonqueen6589]

I was impressed by the trailer sure, but all in all, the film was trashy, I’d give it a 2.5 at most. It wasn’t truly a horror movie in my eyes, it was more fitting to be classed as a thriller, suffice to say I ain’t rewatching it anytime soon😏

[@BrandonJames2016]

@@dragonqueen6589 well it says it’s a horror/thriller. Good job in being in the minority and the next horror movie to come out will be smile and I honestly will watch it out of curiosity 💀

[@badsaj1]

Tell me you don't watch baseball without telling me you don't watch baseball. "the movie starts with a baseball MATCH..."

[@atmosphericentry0]

I agree it's a mid horror movie. It's pretty straight forward, which a lot of people seemingly like, but it still fell flat for me. I didn't hate it but after I finished it I was like "eh, okay".

[@loganbigmo]

We're on the same wavelength for this movie. Also glad I didn't see the trailer(s) either, because that one part of Finney trying to sneak upstairs & open the lock while the Grabber is sleeping was the one & only suspenseful moment for me, which would've been eliminated since the trailer shows him running at night down the street.

[@neilvarma]

We never see a sister risk it all to save a brother in Hollywood. That made the movie for me

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

The concept of a puzzle piecing together failed wills of youths an the new kid must become more of a person by only having their personalities an dreams to guide him is amazing

[@s.o6054]

I didn't hate this movie, but I didn't love it either. Like imo it was a pretty good movie, it's just I expected something a bit more. I lowkey didn't even know that this movie was well praised cause I just saw this on some site and was like "why not watch it" knowing nothing about it. As a horror movie it's not the greatest thing, as a movie itself I think is really well. The trailer is what throws me off most of all though 💀

[@MrPuzzleCodes]

19:53 "Jesus, WTF" I bursted out laughing so bad while wathing the movie lmao

[@frostfang1]

I just watched a playthrough of What Remains of Edith Finch and I think I understand how you feel. You want the kind of depth you get from those deaths. But with the boys. And maybe a house/room that has more secrets and interaction with it , like the prison cell in V for Vendetta, but make it last the movie length. And then for the sister.. idk make her able to call the dead boys herself and interact with them and then they may or may not convey what she has said. Maybe one or two of them rather Finn suffer the same fate as they did.

[@asherscottL]

I usually just lurk, but engagement is good. Before my nit-pick: really loved this review. I laughed at the toilet tank lid comment, so it certainly didn't bother me that you harped on it lol. Nit-pick: CGI dog looked fine. Looked like a cane corso, which has that blocky head and pointed ears (when they are cropped). I was more confused as to how the part-time magician could afford 2 houses and a $2k+ dog

[@diawolf8125]

I just watched it before watching this video and I'm kinda sad you didn't like it. I personally really liked it, the acting, the setting, and the story. Though I do agree they should have fleshed the story out more but overall I think it was a great film.

[@rainsjae]

I think the psychic abilities adds more to the story than just being the sister's fun-fact. The kids wanted their bodies found and left it up to her to do that, hence why she found the second house. She wasn't meant to find Finney because they were already helping him get out on his own. Finney also had some type of ability, maybe just not as strong as Gwen's, because like Bruce said, no one else heard the phone. Finney did. Whether or not the grabber heard the kids at the end is up for debate, but I like to think of him constantly dismissing the phone as him not wanting to face what he'd done.

[@jacky409]

it should have been a short film, its a super interesting concept, but not enough to be a feature length film

[@alexsharp6461]

I went to go see this movie with my bf on a $5 Tuesday deal. I didn’t really watch the trailer before hand but I was excited because I haven’t seen a horror movie in theaters for awhile. Then I saw the Blum house studio tag at the beginning and was like “Oh no this isn’t going to be good.” I’ve been waiting for Amanda to review this 💕

[@jacobjenneiahn6540]

Blumhouse has produced some absolutely horrendous horror films over the last several years, but also some of the best, so I think it has little bearing on the quality of the film. I get that it isn't exactly a good sign, and can be worrisome, but its far from a sure indication that a film will suck

[@coletrainhetrick]

From the guys that brought us get out, Whiplash, and the invisible man... ok

[@Pixieee885]

You should definitely watch Sinister. I thought it was going to be another crappy blumhouse horror movie, but my god it was actually suspenseful, terrifying and thoroughly interesting in terms of its lore.

[@Zenlore6499]

I feel like the tone shifts are there for a release of tension given the generally high tension, and that they’re done well, but to each their own.

[@aliadrift]

I honestly just figured he could hear the dead boys through the phone because he was kinda psychic too.

[@diegom6053]

I love how you communicate your ideas, which is why I'm subbed even thought I disagree with like 75% of your opinions.

[@Multiiverseditz]

I’ve seen this movie so many times at least 20x and I made a fanpage for it a day after it came out and I will say I was very impressed by all child actors especially mason and madeleine (Finney and Gwen) the whole cast is very nice especially Mason! loved your review

[@SuperDankBadger]

I felt it was entertaining, I wont watch it again, and felt nothing when it ended but it had my attention for the run time. At this point the bar is so low for me that that's all I ask out of movies.