The Black Phone - Let Me Explain

[@yoon-ns1jx]

the most terrifying part for me is when the camera pans to the grabber sitting shirtless waiting for finny to come upstairs. nightmare material

[@movieserieshub5720]

Yep. 100%

[@yougotgamesonyourphone6947]

I wonder if he had his shirt off to prevent blood from staining

[@yoon-ns1jx]

@@yougotgamesonyourphone6947 that theory makes it even scarier

[@katelyn3612]

terrifying yet oddly attractive

[@Rahhliftss]

@@katelyn3612 what?

[@dannikris3696]

I think Finn being able to speak to the ghosts of the children was proof that he’s also clairvoyant like his sister and they’re connected because of it.

[@ileanareyes3973]

I told my husband the same thing

[@dannikris3696]

@@ileanareyes3973 it’s the only explanation that makes sense to me lol

[@hoodiek6802]

@@dannikris3696 it makes sense his sister and mother were clairvoyant They kids told him He was the only 1 who could hear them

[@dannikris3696]

@@hoodiek6802 learning about the mom made me so sad, especially when the little girl got whipped by her dad. I saw the movie by myself and had to control my tears in front of everyone during that part.

[@jacklemm1518]

Finn is Clairaudient. Meaning he can hear things that aren’t really there.

[@eddyawesomes]

I LOVED that they show two siblings getting along. You usually see brother and sisters not getting along in movies.

[@facefucker7923]

True

[@eyeknow8009]

well they're both living with an abusive alcoholic father and Finn saw Gwen get beat with a belt and begged him to stop, when you're living with a shit dad like that you unite with your siblings

[@crypticgh0st622]

yeah

[@dalasportis1261]

@@eyeknow8009 facts that’s how it was with me and my siblings

[@ca44444]

@@eyeknow8009 I wish it was like that with my sibling. I was the Golden Child of the family (even though we still clashed with our mom) and I would often go along with berating my brother like the adults did. I didn't even realize that it was abnormal to not hate your siblings until my dad mentioned that I bully my brother too much.

[@igorfreytor1]

Let’s remember that Finn’s sister is clairvoyant as was their mother. Therefore, I think he was really communicating with the ghosts because he was clairvoyant as well. I agree with you that he didn’t actually need to talk to them through the phone. However, the phone allowed Finn to subcontiously bring out his psychic abilities. How could Finn have known that the grabber was asleep for example?

[@MissyJr735]

@Eric Brown Well how could Finn have known about the combo of the lock to the door? That’s not a combination you’d just think of out of the blue and it wouldn’t make sense as to why it was written down there in the first place if not for the kid.

[@dannikris3696]

Yess Finn was 100% clairvoyant. That’s how he was able to recognize each of the missing kids voices and what each of them did to try and escape.

[@TimNguyen-qr5kg]

The newspaper kid told Finn where the lock combo was written and that the grabber was asleep upstairs

[@sunmi2539]

Wow

[@koylar]

I brought this up to my gf and she replied “how come the grabber can hear the black phone then ?” and even the ghosts say he can hear them but the grabber refuses to believe it

[@mackenziebrown197]

Has anyone noticed the way the children died is based on the way they tried to escape or “misbehaved”? Bruce isn’t seen walking around, so he most likely died in the hole he tried digging. Billy probably died trying to escape by being too loud with the lock, thus him telling finney to be quiet. Griffin was seen hanging, so he died by being hung by the cord and sliced. Vance has a scene where he is kicking at the air, perhaps he tried to get through the freezer by kicking it open, ran out of time and was dragged back and killed. Finally, robin tried fighting, learned the killer’s pattern and taught it to finney, also, maybe after fighting, he gave up and died in the corner he’s last seen, that’s why he’s telling finney not to give up. Just a theory.

[@Ch50304]

Interesring theory.

[@hoodiek6802]

This might be True actually Bruce was digging Billy tried escaping Griffin was hanging Vance kicking Robin fighting

[@rogue8903]

Good analysis right there.

[@toohot2trott322]

I love this, and yes your point is spot on.

[@hoodiek6802]

I think they each tried these methods but on the last day that's why they said they didn't have enough time he came and got them

[@layahlayah5951]

I loved that they waited for her to play the sister, because she played that role so good! Especially when she went in on the cops for questioning her in the principal office, cracks you up.

[@being2real943]

He clearly had a crush on her

[@rumpleforeskin833]

the "what the fuck Jesus, I mean what the fuck" line was pretty funny too

[@layahlayah5951]

@@rumpleforeskin833 cause we can all definitely relate 😂

[@being2real943]

@@rumpleforeskin833 yeah no sooner had you denied him he shows up sounds like Peter with the rooster crow

[@Michelle-bb7bs]

@@being2real943 dude don't take this in a creepy Way, it's just he believes in her acting ability not many people in the industry believe in young actors, a very vew director's do this it's not new, don't judge people too quickly.

[@crtslaura]

About the brother not knowing the kid was in his house, there are planny of real cases where people lived in the same roof and they didn't know something like this was happening.

[@ShafHussain]

It was not the same house….

[@02puwina]

@@ShafHussain it was. the grabber kept a separate house that was empty except for the basement where the dead bodies were. but max (the grabber’s brother), the grabber, and finney were all in the same house

[@mediocreMorpheus7795]

He also only recently moved in, which is why the Grabber technically had to take such a long time to kill Finney because his brother was in the house. The Grabber even mentioned that this time he might get caught. So obviously things are going wrong out of all the other times he got away with it.

[@calvoekleiden8664]

Did you type planny?

[@ebonih7138]

How did he figure it out

[@universal_dissappointment]

The part when the kids are beating up Finnie and the little sister came running in and just smacked the mess out of the kid with a damn rock.

[@joyc.e.7511]

She's a badass.

[@temari105]

I thought she killed that kid!!

[@agbrenv]

@@temari105 it was kinda funny that after the bully leader and the sister both got enough beating, they just tapped out and sat next to each other

[@tashaleahchongo715]

She's my hero

[@TheRJPowell]

I loved this movie! Really an interesting a unique style of a thriller with some horror elements! And the two main kid actors did a FANTASTIC JOB!!! This was a well made film!

[@being2real943]

BS tell another lie

[@albetto4475]

@@being2real943 nah it was a fun movie to watch

[@tonyharden7159]

Heck yeah!! I loved it and I am so buying it when it's released on Amazon Prime for sale.

[@domoetker3967]

"SMASHED AND GRABBED"? WHEN?

[@sasnad3]

@@being2real943 exactly, a very stupid and dumb movie for people with a very low iq

[@tysonasaurus6392]

The brother didn't want to go in the basement like he wasn't allowed to, I think they were implying Max already suspected his brother but was in denial

[@greyscaleanon7551]

Given that the Grabber had apparently been in that basement when he was a kid (since he mentioned the phone didn't work back then), I imagine that the basement is just an unpleasant place with unpleasant memories for both of the brothers.

[@isabellasweeney8281]

i think there was also a separate basement that was normal? like where the freezer was.

[@dummybelles9651]

Honestly, the brother not questioning the lock makes sense when considering that he's a coke user, and as infatuated with the case as he is, it's not surprising that he'd be okay with/want an extra lock. The paranoia associated with that drug could possibly cause him to think that "The Grabber" knew he was "on the case", and that he was in danger. But, maybe it just doesn't make sense lol

[@moderatecanuck]

You will also not suspect your kin

[@dummybelles9651]

@@moderatecanuck your phrasing leads me to suspect my kin

[@cobracommander9138]

How did the brother not ask his brother why is he sitting on a chair in the kitchen facing the basement door with his shirt off and mask on and a belt in his hand like he is going to whoop someone. Even a coked out brother would find that strange and check the basement.

[@justrife]

@@cobracommander9138 ever seen a real life coke fiend? they don't tend to stick around and keep weird hours, so it can be easy sometimes to time them

[@cobracommander9138]

@@justrife Unfortunately I have known a lot of coke heads. I think his brother with his paranoid self would have been in the basement of both houses. They can't keep still. Plus he would have been up all night and crashing in the day. Where was the brother when the kid got out? Did he have a bedroom on the opposite side of the house maybe?

[@ciaraspearmon8417]

Bro I got jump scared by that movie not even gonna lie💀

[@brysonmoses2582]

The hanging girl got me the worst

[@ciaraspearmon8417]

@@brysonmoses2582 yep

[@strange_wilds]

It was one of those where I knew it was coming and it still got me.

[@itsjuicenotwine]

@@brysonmoses2582 I dont remember that part? Who's the hanging girl?

[@brysonmoses2582]

@@itsjuicenotwine she wasn’t really hanging she was on her back and floating

[@brawlmedia2804]

Grabber sitting with naked upper body, mask and belt was one of the most scariest thing I have ever seen..

[@platinumwolf526]

I started laughing when i saw that

[@spicedblossoms8212]

@@platinumwolf526 no bc me and my friends were barely holding it together when we saw that scene

[@user-sp9ui9dd6u]

it made me so fcking uncomfortable i was thinking about that scene days later still

[@Eiramzify]

That scene is definitely gonna live in my head rent free

[@Abbinal]

It’s likely to not be stained from the blood (but what about the pants, so who knows)

[@fannyalexander5906]

When he almost escaped I felt all the adrenaline there. One of the best thrillers I’ve watched recently.. The raid part also reminded me of the one in Silence of the Lambs. Wish we get to know more of her sister’s abilities, maybe a sequel perhaps or even a prequel of her mother’s.

[@alittlebitofjessica]

No. No more prequels or sequels or presequels or anything like that. Not every mystery needs to be revealed or explained. Sometimes a mystery is much better when it remains a mystery. Although in all honesty they probably WILL make a prequel to make money.

[@vikvikk19]

@@alittlebitofjessicaI agree, somewhat, because they will prequel and sequel things to death; but this movie was so good we want more. I say that because we know those weren’t his only victims. I’m interested to see where it began and the backstory for their mom, only because their dad said their mom did terrible things. I immediately wondered “what terrible things?” when he said that. She had to have been amazing to have raised such great kids. A brother that actually looks out for and spends time with his sister and doesn’t act annoyed by her the entire time and a little sister that’s fierce across the board. Definitely interested in knowing more.

[@keelyshae427]

The movie was really good but as an avid horror fan, I was hoping for it to be a little more disturbing since it was marketed as a terrifying horror film. Ethan Hawke did amazing with his role, and when the Grabber was on screen it felt uncomfortable, so I kinda wish we got more of him since we primarily saw him just coming down to give him food & chat and sitting in a chair. But as a supernatural thriller rather than horror film, I enjoyed it!

[@kdkkat]

I would have loved to have more backstory on the grabber or perhaps a motive for all that he did

[@keelyshae427]

@@kdkkat exactly! Like, sure we can infer that there was some childhood trauma or something but like, why is he specifically targeting these kids? I need answers!

[@doomsday6372]

Yes exactly I thought it was great, but I wasn’t really “scared” or per se

[@Ella-px1xw]

I found it to be incredibly disturbing and unnerving. Didn’t even consider who the grabber was cause I was so focused on how he must be feeling. The atmosphere was so scary and tense but maybe that’s cause I’m a teenager. You kinda grow up thinking about what could happen to you if you’re not careful and it doesn’t matter who’s doing it or what their motives are- people can be deranged and during this time period it was always like this

[@Wolfen5207]

With the first trailer, I always thought this was going to be a thriller, but then the second trailer came out and was edited in such a way to make it seem more like a horror movie and was advertised as such. Having actually seen the movie, I have to say my original assessment was correct, which is also how a lot of people feel about the movie and is even stated in this video. It’s a supernatural thriller with horror elements.

[@cobracommander9138]

It seems like the killer grew up in that house and his dad locked him in that basement. The killer only had the black phone that didn't work. If the killer went up stairs when he wasn't allowed his dad would beat the hell out of him with the belt and tell him he was being naughty. The killer then wanted to repeat this but he wanted to be in the power role. The killer's dad probably hated him and was ashamed of him and would hide him in the basement especially when the father had company.

[@SassySlater]

It could have been the mother? Which would be a good plot twist. Especially as mothers are supposed to nurture their children. I loved that spin of it being the mother in Red Dragon.

[@corrinewalker285]

That’s why he only took boys

[@kathleencastle8631]

Why did they have two houses

[@Faze_Bottle]

@@kathleencastle8631 he probably bought the other one later on in life

[@Faze_Bottle]

Most of the theory’s could work which could explain why he said in a disappointing voice that the phone didn’t work like he was waiting his entire life for someone to help him but the phone never rang and he never got help. Also I think that the mom and dad could’ve split which is why max isn’t like the grabber he grew up with his loving mom and the grabber had to stay with his father

[@800Ms-k6n]

I love this movie, the concept is so simple yet it's so effective in using the atmosphere and jump scares. It's not perfect but it's definitely a better horror movie that's coming out these days

[@mediocreMorpheus7795]

Where the movie really shines is there are so many effective set ups and pay offs. Which is how a good screenplay should be written.

[@tianalee4126]

exactly what i’ve been saying

[@jesse55062]

Súper facts, I got creeped out and scared of how true this could be. Not the dead kids speaking but weird ass people kidnapping kids. This was a great scary movie

[@cosmic-_1516]

The only complaint I have with this REALLY good movie is that they don't explain nearly enough about the Grabber. I agree with Ethan Hawkes take, you don't really need to know, because knowing doesn't change the fact of today, that he is broken. I just think it's frustrating how they managed to set up the character to go about 6 different ways, traumatized child gone evil, gay pedophile, nonsexual sadistic child murderer, there are so many different reasons why he could be doing what he is, and they poke at those different reasons, but then throw you nothing more to work with. It's frustrating.

[@shelina.maddrey7566]

Those clues are not there to give you hints that ultimately tell you why he is doing it They are there to emphasize that it does not matter because at the end of the day He is doing it

[@joyc.e.7511]

Well, the story isn't about him. It's about Finn getting out of there and about the anger of the other murdered boys. And they make that very clear. We don't need to know why the grabber is so fucked up. The movie isn't trying to make us care about his backstory. This is about the victims and Finn getting revenge and finally stopping him. Not every bad guy needs to have his story told.

[@cosmic-_1516]

@@joyc.e.7511 While I agree with that, the Grabber is an antagonist with truly sinister potential, pun not intended, he could try become an icon so having this character with astronomic potential to become a horror movie legend and then not do anything with it past the surface level just feels like a waste

[@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484]

Every evil person doesn’t have a “reason” , some people are just naturally fucked up …why do your think there HAS to be a reason ?

[@cosmic-_1516]

@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 Because when you have a character with as much potential as the Grabber, and you completely throw away any backstory and force watchers into being like “Okay yeah the Grabber is fucked up because he’s fucked up” it just feels like a waste. Maybe I’m just picky but, I don’t like characters without clear motives, because it just feels like the Grabber is evil purely for the sake of being an evil character rather than the fact of something happening that drives him to becoming this way. You know, I don’t care if his whole thing is that he’s just inexplicably evil, BUT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHOW ANYTHING THAT SIGNIFIES HE’S ALWAYS BEEN EVIL. If nothing traumatic happened to him, and he’s always been evil, then let us fucking see that. Give us one, 2 minute flashback of the Grabber doing something evil as a child and I will be content. The best horror antagonists are horror antagonists that you can read into, the ones where you can understand their actions, and at the very least get a general idea of where they’re coming from as a person. Those are the ones you remember, for example, Freddy was a kid killer who was burnt alive by the parents of the kids he was killing. You don’t need to know why he was killing kids to begin with, but by knowing he was burnt alive by the parents, you understand why he’s killing kids in the movies. With Michael, he was inexplicably evil, born that way, and you fear him because you watch him at 6 years old brutally murder his older sister, actions which truly reinforce his backstory of being an evil child born into a good family. All I fucking wanted was literally one scene, one minor scene for some good well written characterization of the Grabber but we don’t get that, and it feels disappointing because the Grabber was fucking scary, and had potential to be far scarier if we understood why he was doing what he was doing, even minimally

[@jemicabond3916]

This story is definitely connected to John Wayne Gacy the killer clown who killed 33 young boys and had 27 of them buried under his house only reason the others weren’t there cause he ran out of space and he heard the phone rang while killing one and left to answer it and came back the boy was dead. He would play a game with them if they didn’t play they lived..

[@T.Alexis926]

When he was at the door the first time trying to unlock the combination lock, I damn near croaked!!!! LMBO that scene had my heart pacing so bad. And as a girl who has very vivid dreams I totally resonated with the sister. I really liked this movie overall. I ended up buying the book! 😃

[@erika-paigehutch3930]

I knew exactly what was gonna happen in that scene and my friend and I were like "he's fucked" BUT MH HEART WAS STILL RACING

[@_Xsist]

I got jump scared multiple times. But I agree, it felt more like a thriller.

[@LucyLioness100]

“Silence of the Lambs” is under the same label; it’s technically called a horror film, but is a thriller

[@queerios9925]

The grabber hears the phone ring. I figured the grabber is what happens when you let the voices you hear win. The father of Fin said his mother heard voices that made her do bad things. The grabber probably had the same power as the kids sister.

[@xnng]

Dude that’s exactly what I thought!! He can hear the phone too and can hear the kids on the phone at the end

[@joyc.e.7511]

And Finn, he could hear the voices too

[@cuentadeyoutube5903]

I came to the comments searching for this. The father mentions their mother doing “terrible things” in the end. I think the grabber has the same powers as the kids and their mother. So, sequel idea: both kids or one of them grow up to be evil.

[@animeballsdeep]

This movie was excellent.

[@b.castilho4011]

100% this is one of the best, and actually deserving of the title of horror, movies I have seen in a while. Expanded so much from the short story, giving it such depth and dimension that I guarantee it will become a classic immediately. The dread and tension keep building up and the scares are all well deserved and perfectly placed, giving you that much-needed momentary release and a good spook. I recommend a big-screen viewing for it.

[@maraaawaraaa]

i watched this movie yesterday and i just wanna say i love it, the ending really satisfied me and i like how finn actually communicated with the children through the phone

[@ttjc3696]

I hope they do a 5 episode tv series with each episode focused on a victim and their time with the Grabber. Based off the small clues throughout the movie each game was different based on the personality and temperament of each boy. Bruce had enough time to dig a nice little hole before Finney got there. Billy( Paperboy) had time to find and pull out that long cord, but we never know what he planned to do with it.....unless it was to do what Finney did. Griffin somehow knew the Grabber used his bike lock on the front door and was afraid of forgetting the combination. Then there’s Vance, who by far is the most interesting victim of them all. When Gweny has her dreams about Bruce and Billy we see that they were taken. However in her vision of Vance it shows the police dropping him off at the house with the dead bodies. He then kicked open the fence while saying "Today's the day motherfucker." so did he know the Grabber personally or are those the last words the Grabber said to him? Also Gwen says that Vance went missing last spring and he had enough time to create an escape hole through the wall, so how long did the Grabber have him. Plus Vance fought two guys because one of them messed up his pinball game so I doubt he wasn't trying to go blow for blow with the Grabber.

[@keyantecoleman1043]

Yes Vance character left me wanting to know more of his backstory plus the kid was like the real life billy badass they left us all hanging with that guy

[@marra4174]

I’m pretty sure Vance was a vengeful spirit. He may have just said that out of pure anger

[@Nic-no8nf]

I think him saying “today’s the day” was referring to finn finally getting out and killing him. But I want to know why he said it wasnt about finn when finn thanked him and then he got sucked back into the darkness

[@ttjc3696]

@@Nic-no8nf I assumed what he meant was along the lines of what Robin said, they couldn't get justice for themselves so they had to "help" Fin escape so the Grabber could get caught. For the ones who didn't know Fin it was about their own vengeance not really helping him, at least that's the vibes I got from Vance. I'm not sure about Paperboy and Griffin, weather they were trying to save Fin or just trying to get him out so he could help the cops catch the Grabber. Maybe Robin told them that Fin would kill the Grabber and that's what they were really working towards all along. Not wanting to overwhelm him by telling him their plan they sort of set it up to happen. 🤷🏿‍♀️

[@Nic-no8nf]

@@ttjc3696 i just wish they gave a little more info on how the kids were killed too. Like griffin(i think it was) showed him hanging? But the other kids really just showed their wounds. But this is a really good theory and sounds factual to me! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Thankyou!

[@MsKassandraKotaku]

Oh I thought the mother thing was potentially really intense. They kinda implied that she was worried about her children and the visions were showing that. The fact that Finny's father was the way he was, was the whole reason he could survive. So my mind went: The mom killed herself so that Finny could survive the grabber.

[@drewbiet5837]

Or she could’ve had them move

[@MsKassandraKotaku]

@@drewbiet5837 But then the grabber would have kept killing kids. Also moving is not that easy, especially before being able to apply for jobs online.

[@drewbiet5837]

@@MsKassandraKotaku idk i feel like in the grand scheme itd be the better thing to do is just move and come back to catch him after his first victim, other than kill herself let all those victims die and let her kids grow up in an abusive household.

[@vikvikk19]

@@MsKassandraKotakuright I gather that the point was for Finn to be the one to end the grabber. That’s why he was the only one that could hear the previous victims. They wanted Finn to escape so they would be found and stop him from hurting other boys. I love that the movie insinuated things but didn’t actually show them. That could be triggering in itself for so many reasons. The film did what it needed to do.

[@Chanwills0]

I really enjoyed this film. It was a thriller not a horror for me but just as an experience I had an awesome time with it. The kids did a brilliant job and Ethan killed it as the grabber

[@thelonercoder5816]

@Lèmon Lēe yikes. you must not watch alot of horror films. This film was barely a horror film. Like a 3/10 on the horror aspect.

[@thelonercoder5816]

@Lèmon Lēe doubt it lol.

[@kristopherschermerhorn998]

Not only did Joe Hill pitch a sequel idea, but Scott Derrickson loved the idea and said he’s making it if The Black Phone does well (which so far, it is!)

[@saxanith6117]

One thing I thought was weird about the movie is that they imply that the sister will be a big help because of her dreams. But when it boils down to it, Finn received more help from the children who didn't make it and got out of there himself. The cops and the sister came too late to help him, so he ended up walking out on his own. If he hadn't walked out of the house across the street, they probably wouldn't have known that that house had anything to do with the whole thing.

[@bamber4757]

Right! She had really useful powers but I dont think it made much of an impact. They didnt listen to her so, her powers were pretty much useless. It didnt really help to do anything that made a difference.

[@yuvrajsingh3955]

@@bamber4757 they literally found bodies of the kids because they listened to her.

[@lazycalc2533]

As the movie neared an end, you literally start asking yourself two things: 1. Would you want the daughter/cops to save him? 2. Or would you rather him escape on his own volition? I had trouble coming to a conclusion but found myself leaning towards #2…in the end happy with how it ended

[@Thurston86]

I agree with ​@@yuvrajsingh3955. She was being lead to their bodies. That’s not “nothing”.

[@sleepytoons2155]

@@Thurston86 absolutely and like Vance said it wasn’t about finney. She was never being lead to finney. She was always being led to the dead kiss. She initially asked for help to find robin, and she did. That just wasn’t all she found. And I think it would have been less impactful if the sister was the overall savior. I prefer that finney saved himself. I feel like it worked rlly well and makes perfect sense bc his whole life he’s needed other ppl to save him.

[@MikeBites]

8:47 I think the brother Max has several issues of his own. Chances are, the brothers experienced the same unknown trauma together as children. This is reflected in the shared trauma of Finn and his sister. Max’s drug use, obsessive behavior and almost comic level of obliviousness all hint towards his own repressed trauma.

[@jamiebaker7066]

I heard that this movie is absolutely amazing. I had a family member who was killed by a serial killer, so I watch a lot of movies like this and crime shows so that I can try to understand how killers think

[@tonyboyer1563]

Recommend it. It’s amazing

[@adrianaochoa1697]

I’m so sorry for what you went trough :( this movie is amazing!!!

[@moderatecanuck]

You will love it. I'm true crime fan and this hit me hard because of it

[@datdankdj8264]

Some think they’re doing a service. “Ridding people of this torturous existence” sorta thing…others may do it from a sick thrill and primal urge to take lives, some do it simply because they’ve grown to hate humans. Serial Murderers are usually the result of what happens when you let the voices take control. Hope this helps give some insight, and I’m sorry for your loss

[@_haitian_barbie_]

I am so sorry for your loss!!😥

[@biguy617]

I wondered if the Grabber knew if the sister was dreaming about him. I do wish Finn stood up to his father at the end. Tell him to stop beating his sister or else, I had other questions about the movie. Sometimes less is more. The less you know about the Grabber the scarier he is.

[@JD-jz5gu]

@Eric Brown he definitely did abuse the daughter of with the spanking, idk how can you can try to excuse it

[@xnng]

@@JD-jz5gu I think you have to understand that since it was with a belt lots of people including myself resonate to how our parents use to “spank” us. It was definitely abuse. Just harder to spot to those who’ve been accustomed to the belt.

[@joyc.e.7511]

@Eric Brown It doesn't matter that he loves his kids, he was still abusing them. And it doesn't matter that he's coming from a place of goodwill, his kids tiptoe around him and are afraid of him. He's also an alcoholic (probably because of the wife's death) and that makes him even worse. Your kids shouldn't be afraid of you, knowing you'll snap any second. It wasn't a mistake that the father is similar to the grabber in ways. That behavior is unacceptable.

[@lucidcross8282]

I think the father was very remorseful for how he treated his kids after he thought he lost his son. From his perspective, none of the kids that went missing were ever found so he didn't expect any different with his son thus believing that he lost his son, he started trying to be nicer and more patient with his daughter so he wouldn't snap on her again because after losing his son he realized the same could happen to his daughter and doesn't want her last memory of him to be a bad one the same as was with his son. In the end, when his son was found he was very relieved and he cried telling his son how sorry he was. The abuse is definitely unexcusable as it was wrong, however, I also believe forgiveness should be considered especially to those who show genuine remorse for their actions. The father did lose his wife and it is likely the reason he was so bitter and turned to the drink. Alcoholism is a disease but one that people do struggle with.

[@peterparker9954]

@@joyc.e.7511 the thing is parents used to be abusive way back in the 70s Don't judge an era with the morals of today

[@23mylo60]

The acting from the kids in this movie was incredible, absolutely loved how at the end he used the advice from every ghost and combined them all to take down the grabber. Didn’t find the movie “scary” as I just found it to be extremely sad.. although that ending was worth it

[@jourdanibe1032]

I really loved this film. These days I find it hard to stomach current horror films because it always feels like they're trying to one-up each other with gore, jump scares, graphic assault scenes, etc. This felt like a really tense ghost story your babysitter tells you before you go to bed as a kid. It was the perfect level of scary that didn't feel potentially triggering for me. The end was super satisfying too!

[@tfptravel.food.peace.3788]

Agreed! I actually stopped watching horror movies like Saw. Too much! But i liked this movie. Loved the end!

[@PKGangsta18]

That payoff at the end when everything came together. Damn. "Finn's arm is MINT!" 💪

[@deepshite8229]

Had to rewatch it, it was sooo good

[@urobos1]

Being Mexican growing up with “el robachico” and all my experience learned from “mujer casos de la vida real” yelling at this movie a lot! I really enjoyed it.

[@wellyesiamfabulous223]

For me it was El Viejo del costal, kept me from going to mi tiendita de la esquina xD

[@jeleahswan4973]

I really liked it but I thought it could be a bit more scary but I loveeeddd the fact that the story was original.Usually we just get the same scary movie plots

[@Jeffeffina]

Me & my daughter watched this in a hotel in Vegas - she begged me & begged me, I wasn't really interested because I thought it looked kinda lame...honestly surprised at how much we both got sucked into the story. The acting is realistic & creepy, the writing is excellently tense & tight, I happen to love a good twist & storyline that requires attention. I don't regret paying to watch it & would absolutely watch it again

[@Sarappreciates]

This definitely felt like a Stephen King thing, so it's real interesting to learn that it was his son's story.

[@Jay-dz1qy]

Sinister is one of my favorite horror films. My eyes watered watching it. I loved the actors in this film (especially the kids) and I enjoyed it. Loved the Joseph reference 😄

[@krossbonnez]

What was that reference? I didn't understand

[@WaShn.]

it doesn’t matter how good this movie is it had the most unique promotional content to a movie ive ever seen

[@ladyscarfaceangel4616]

This movie reminded me so much of the John Wayne Gacey case. Down to the balloons, burying bodies in the basement, to kidnapping young boys. While many details are different, many are also the same. My family lived on the same block as Gacey in the late 70's. My brother actually seem him dressed as a clown during one of his backyard BBQs.

[@elizabeth3506]

i loved this movie, but i wish we got more of The Grabber a little more. every seen he was in made me horrifyingly uncomfortable. i just wish we had a bit more explanation to the other kids as well as The Grabber himself. it was still an incredible movie, and it exceeded my expectations. i left the theater pleasantly surprised :)

[@jeremy144713]

Agreed! I just wish there was one scene with him actually “taking out” one of the kids early on to give us that fear for phinny. We don’t see him hurt anyone until he axes his own brother but by that point where at the climax of the movie and only 10 mins left till the end.

[@seanseams6308]

I liked the movie, some parts felt weird but overall I enjoyed it Finny was a lot better the second half of the movie but his sister was the star for sure Ethan hawk was soooo good, this movie also made me want to see him as the joker

[@MichaelObay]

I never get scared or even slightly scared watching horror movies or playing horror games but this movie actually got me phased and I actually got jump scared once last time this happened was in 2015 watching insidious when the devil came on but I was young

[@amaanhussain3094]

which part jump scared you? for me it was the kid ghost (the one who got beaten for going upstairs) and the ghosts on the street when the girl was biking

[@MichaelObay]

When the first ghost appeared when finney was calling

[@keyantecoleman1043]

Fr the devil from the first insidious listening to tiptoe through the tulips still bothers me😂😂

[@MichaelObay]

@@keyantecoleman1043 same

[@holden6104]

Seriously one of my favorite films of the last 5 years. It was so nostalgic, and reminded me a lot of my childhood. The entire story was written like a child's creative writing piece, with all the little things the kids helped him with all working towards the solution in the end. There's nothing quite like it anywhere. Very underrated film.

[@BiLLz66614]

This was so well done. I really enjoyed this movie. Every kid had their own piece to the puzzle that laid an ultimate plan in the end. Was a lot of fun to watch.

[@elturtle4739]

To be fair, Max was coked tf out for every moment we see him during the movie so him being so hyperfixated on solving the case that he misses obvious red flags kind of makes sense, but you know that’s just me

[@aimeewilson4505]

This movie was incredible! I would encourage everyone to see it in theaters if they can cause the audio alone was so cool to hear in surround sound. Let alone, the acting was incredible and the plot kept me entertained and tense the whole way through. The ending was hella cool.

[@quanzoboi420]

I generally did not like this film as a horror film but I did thoroughly enjoy it as a coming of age story for Finny. I thought his arc and the trial and error he went through was very interesting.

[@cutiepieray01]

The first jump scare really got me! I watched this movie on a whim tonight after watching Thor. From previews to end and absolutely loved it. The child actors are great in this and you really root for finny to escape. So glad I watched it!!makes me wanna watch sinister next

[@nbrown487]

I just saw this movie and loved it. The part about Jason Blum installing the phone is creepy but really cool, lol

[@firstlast1947]

The best part was when the sister tells the cops sarcastically "Yeah, you got me. I'm the Grabber."

[@Manilovesmovies]

This was a really great movie. The kids acted their asses off . I wasn’t afraid but enjoyed it the whole time

[@thabreez456]

I actually didn't mind the jumpscares cause the movie is one of the few modern horror films that doesn't rely on them and still manages to spook you out. The jumpscares that were there were actually really effective

[@gomolemofritz5966]

I loved the sister the minute she told her dad if he doesn't stop beating her she will drop the bottle and then she proceeds to drop the bottle. That's when I knew her character was fearless. That's someone you want in your corner. I also love their brother sister relationships ❤️.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

The ac broke in the theater I was watching this movie in, by the scene with the sister bashing the bullies head with a rock I was drenched. But I stayed because this movie got me so concerned for the fictional children's well being that I knew I would not sleep that night if I didn't know what happened to them.

[@robby7499]

The Grabber had the basement sound-proofed. Max wouldn't have heard Finney screaming.

[@Ocapela215]

But his brother called the cops because he assumed it was him. He just had coke a cola on the table. 😂

[@Ocapela215]

@Eric Brown Truth. Cops needed a little girl to solve it. 🤭

[@JD-jz5gu]

@@Ocapela215 the brother never called the cops tho…..

[@Ocapela215]

@@JD-jz5gu Maybe I'm mistaken but I know the cops spoke to him and he even broke down how he thought it was his brother. Then they saw the coke on the table.

[@santiagocabrera]

@@JD-jz5gu yeah he did; to share his discoveries about the case; but they didnt take him seriously The thing that broke my inmmersion was; if the fucking brother of the Grabbber is a Wanna be Detective; how in the hell didnt notice his Brother in the middle.of the night with a fucking Devil Mask on A Belt on his hand waitin for something to came Out of the Fuckin Creepy Ass And Suspicious Basement...

[@Fantasticmrsnake]

I absolutely loved the film, the cinematography gripped me from the beginning and it very much has that "it" feel. I will agree there's a lot of things that remain unexplained but I didn't really mind I was just hooked on what the next call was going to be and seeing how he would escape. What also I think worked great is we never see the grabber do much physical violence and yet he feels extremely intimidating, there's a bit of a psychological element there.

[@sarimanne6204]

I liked how the supernatural element was there to assist the protagonist, and the scary part was just a human mad man that could easily be real.

[@vxtsxr2425]

The scene with the father beating the sister was really good. her acting is amazing. it was great watching this movie!

[@Geo_Babe]

Ethan Hawke KILLED this character. So creepy and the subtle insanity under the surface is palpable. Also the two primary child actors were fantastic. The girl was wonderful and the boy reminded me of a young Brad Renfro

[@PSRose]

I love how the movie is basically an unwrapping of his gift, and how he is using that gift to save himself yet the movie distracts us with thinking his sister is the only gifted one who is going to save him. Decent movie. Great actors

[@maxsupreme]

I liked it a lot. If they make a sequel, they should do it years later and have the “Grabber” start calling Fin on some kind of land line and haunt him. “The Black Phone” gave me what I expected. A decent horror/thriller that kept me engaged throughout the movie. The child actors carried the film andI was impressed with the talent they displayed.

[@TheGreatDevlin]

I've gotten sentiment in my old age. You give me a story with a pair of siblings that go through hell together and I'm emotional. That scene where Finn and Gwen make eye contact across the street, the eyes watered. NGL

[@mk-ri6nl]

sinister has been one of my fav horror movies for a really long time and i was so pleasantly surprised to hear that the black phone was directed by the same person. i went to watch in theaters and my cousins and i loved it!! such a great movie. the acting, cinematography, the emotional depth, the relationships, and etc. really blew me away. it was def more of a thriller than a horror and i was completely okay with that

[@m.worthy]

🏠🏠...I had noticed the two different home addresses in Gwen's dreams. In Gwen's first vision, Finney is yelling "Help" while pushing himself at a door, trying to get out of a home with *1242 (or something like that)* as the address. The Grabber's brother's "detective work" can be seen in the backdrop as Finn bangs/pushes at the door. When Gwen is "with" Vance Hopper in the back of the police car, the car takes them to a 7741 address ( _leafless tree in the yard)._ 42:14 = 1242 (or so) 🏠 1:14:43 = 7741 🏠

[@guacoman817]

This movie made me sad for all the victims. But a good movie overall

[@c2e.7877]

That movie got me crying, being angry and being happy at the end. I literally had an panic attack after finishing, damn it was such a good movie.

[@chedoodles]

I loved this movie so much. It's such a good horror, thriller. Made me scream when he was about to kill the Grabber.

[@Multiiverseditz]

I made a fanpage for this movie after the 2nd trailer came out it was slow at first but when the movie came out a lot of people started to notice. including cast members they are all really nice I’ve been noticed quite a few times by all of them. The whole fandom is amazing very kind and very creative, and the cast being able to notice fans felt really nice. I’ve seen this movie over 20x and every single time it gets better and better!

[@FearlessUntamed]

Thats cool !

[@rosejohnson8144]

I enjoyed this movie, but the one thing I just could not get over was that Finn had (multiple) glass soda bottles brought to him by The Grabber before his attempted escape, I just could not understand why he didn't think of breaking one and slashing The Grabber's throat while he was asleep so he could try out the lock combinations and make it out safely, or ANY TIME before or after when The Grabber came downstairs. I was screaming at him the whole time, "The bottles are right there!!!"

[@SubirN]

I thought he would use the cover of the toilet bowl to smack grabber over the head next time he came downstairs

[@toryjaeger8557]

This is easily one of my favorite horror movies, sinister was always my top and I really loved how similar they are. My favorite part is the very end where he finally kills the grabber, I mean how many movies do you see where the kids fight back and win? It’s so empowering to see the resourcefulness pay off. You see so many times in horror movies where they finally have leverage ever the villain and then they stop halfway to go “… is he dead??” And then he obviously isn’t dead and they get killed. SO satisfying to see justice for kids in a horror movie!

[@Medicinelife348]

I wish we would have gotten a little bit more info of why he would kidnap the kids.

[@jennisacostel7605]

The sister has an amazing career ahead of her she is very good at what she does

[@Aypinsocks1225]

It’s actually explained that the grabber, since he was a child he had an abusive father who would hit him with a belt a lot so he kidnapped only boys to get a sense of nostalgia by playing naughty boy and beating them.

[@The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare]

nostalgia? He enjoyed those moments with his father? or was it rather about taking back some control which he didn't have back then.

[@Aypinsocks1225]

@@The_Tortoise_and_the_Hare that’s actually a really great insight on it, makes more sense, also including tho that ptsd in such cases also sometimes leaves quite an opposite impact on the child as he/she misses their abuser even though how bad they were for them for example some people tend to want to keep attaching themselves to their past toxic relationships. But still that’s a really great way to think on this point :)

[@MichaelWutsch]

The actress for the sister was amazing

[@angellicbeautyproducts9479]

I'm really kind of disappointed that it none of the reviews has anyone mentioned that Finney has the same gift as his sister and mother...dreams. if you notice every time the black phone rang he was always awakened out of his sleep, so all of those clues he was receiving we're actually in his dreams. The whole time the sister was having dreams about getting her brother out, he was having dreams about finding the bones of The Buried boys which is why the one boy yelled at him" this isn't about you." Also the grabber and his brother went through the same trauma as the grabber is now putting the boys through and we know that because the grabber mentioned being placed in the basement as a child and the brother was a cokehead bc they're both dealing with the same trauma in different ways but the grabber is very similar to the apprentices in the Saw franchise. And i noticed that all the boys Finney didn't have a relationship with only gave him clues to find their bones but the one kid that was his friend actually taught him how to fight so he can free himself??🙄🤔

[@alyssajean2327]

The movie was really good, my eyes were glued to the tv.

[@plantpot2713]

I just realized that the only reason finny was able to hear the other kids was bc of his mother, like one of the kids said the rest could hear the phone but never hear the other kids from the other side. Crazy

[@princess._.44]

what do you mean, like his mother voices or something, like im confused?, is she part of the movie cause i only knew that she died and that was it

[@plantpot2713]

@@princess._.44 the dad said the reason the mom killed herself was bc she saw and heard things that "wernt there" so bruce i think tells finney that the rest of the kids heard the phone ring but never heard the kids speaking, the only reason finney could hear them is bc of his moms gift. Like Gwen had dreams, that gift came from her mother. Finney didnt have things like dreams or whatever but he "unlocked" them by hearing the dead kids on the phone

[@princess._.44]

@@plantpot2713 ohh thank you for explaining it to me, I love to hear the explanations and theories on this movie because this was a very good movie

[@plantpot2713]

@@princess._.44 yeah, I have more like the fact that the grabber had to have stalked the children in order to know how to kidnap them bc let’s be honest Vance wouldn’t have stopped for eggs and Bruce and Billy were on bikes so he had to get a way to get Bruce and Billy.

[@Thisthat1234]

This movie is so good that’s there’s like three other movies in it. A detective film, a supernatural film and a horror film.

[@silversharpie09]

When the brother went into the basement my mind automatically thought that fin would have mistaken him for the grabber and hit him with the phone and escaped and the police would had arrested him thinking he was the killer and that the end shot would be the real grabber escaping in his black van

[@BearsandBoba]

6:28 I gotta say this part always makes me laugh. I love how there's a sudden burst of humor in this triller.

[@jademoon7938]

I feel like the mask code is obvious. The number of parts he's wearing directly relates to how much humanity he has in any given moment, he'll just have the mouth when he is trying to talk to the kids but when he becomes their torturer and killer he wears all three, and the third piece has demon horns. Pretty on the nose. He wears the frown when he's disappointed or things don't go as planned. He wears the smile when he's trying to be charming and friendly, but like Gacy his clown makeup and smile are sinister (reading about the FBI analysis of the unique and bizarrely sharp pointed makeup of Pogo and how it related to his psychopathic mentality is really interesting). It's not intentionally sinister but the mind that creates it is. Seems like a way more viscerally real type of horror than we usually get. I'll end up watching it at some point for sure.

[@BlackLotusFlame]

I miss this channel so much, haven't seen you in my feed for almost a year

[@187mrsmith]

This is what sinister 2 could have been like had they kept that same direction the 2nd 1 being how u figure out how to beat him and have it end positive but I like this being its own entity as well it's a really good movie!

[@cherish_xo]

For those saying her sister not being much help, if it wasn't for her, no one would find the body of the 5 kids because the Grabber and his brother are both dead. Finn wouldn't have known where the bodies are either. The sister's mission wasn't finding Finn. It's finding the bodies.

[@cobracommander9138]

You missed the part where the kid stabs the killer with his rocket pen and the killer just lets him keep that deadly weapon he already used on him. WTF?

[@luciehudeckova8110]

I loved the fact that the paranormal aspect of this movie (the dead kids) wasn't against the protagonist but helped him.

[@kennabeeplays]

This movie didn't really do it for me. The child actors were awesome, but I felt you could tell that it was adapted from a SHORT story that wasn't fully fleshed out. The Grabber keeps alluding to the phone, saying he could hear it too, implying that perhaps at some point he was also in that same basement against his will. Then that is never expanded upon besides him hearing when the other victims call Finny. It really started to feel like that meme about something just being Chekov's Gun Storage, they're all just lying around but they probably won't get used. I did love the ending sequence though, where each tool that a previous victim gave him played a part in taking the Grabber down.

[@hittingyouoverthehead]

I 100% agree that the movie was unsatisfying. For one, all the plotholes that were explained in the video (except for Gwen getting the wrong house. She was going to the house with the bodies). The Grabber's connection to the phone should have been explained and also his connection with his brother should have been explored. Also there is no explanation why he left a phone in the basement for no reason. Here's what I would do to make the movie better: Make The Grabber also a victim of childhood abuse and just like Finney and Gwen, he also grew up with his brother whom he protected. Maybe his father locked him in the basement against his will to beat his brother so that was when he started hearing voices and the Grabber pretended the voices were coming from the phone. Hence why he never removed it because he has a sentimental connection to it. The Grabber has the same power that Finney's mother had. Now that he's all grown up and become an adult, he wants to do to other boys what his father did to him because to him, that feels natural. Hence the "Naughty Boy" game. This would tie into how he has long hair and so do all his victims. Maybe just like how the victims are talking to Finney, The Grabber's father is talking to him too and that's how he knew Finney was going to lie about his name because his father told him beforehand exactly how boys act in situations like these. He wanted his father to be wrong but he wasn't hence the disappointment in seeing what he expected to happen happen. Furthermore, exploring the Grabber's and his brother's relationship would have drawn a nice parallel between Finney and Gwen's relationship as well. And also the movie ends with the disturbing implication that the dreams/visions that the Grabber and Finney's mom had drove them to bad endings and so what would that mean about Finney and Gwen's endings?

[@Black_Magic_Woman]

As an avid horror fan. This is the first one I've seen in a very long time that I actually enjoyed. Amazing movie

[@quangphung9396]

I love this movie. It was a fresh unfiltered breeze in the mist of "family-friendly-wannabe" corporate poison.

[@7_Do_You_Like_Scary_Movies_7]

I feel like the grabber represents fins alcoholic dad, the belt, he passes out, he beats fin with the belt etc. I feel like it’s supposed to be how fin sees his dad but in the end learning his dad does love him. Or something like that

[@mayralopez9748]

This was a good movie. I found the dead kids talking on the phone and instructing Finney a little cheesy. Since it was implied the Grabber had multiple personalities, it would have been better if he had been the caller. It is clear he loved mental games. The plan was to mentally torture these kids (reason he left door unlocked) before beating them to death. If he had been the caller, it would made the character even more terrifying and supported the notion of multiple personalities. Nonetheless it was a good movie and should be seen.

[@bennett4789]

damn i havent seen it yet and i really thought that was gonna be the twist lol

[@mayralopez9748]

@@bennett4789 it would have been so good if he had been the caller. Messed up by not having it that way.

[@liya8538]

I think that would make this movie feel like a knockoff of the movie split.

[@SlitWristMisfit_]

It was decent movie but it wasn't scary enough and we got zero new info about the killer who I really wanted to know about. He was portrayed as very Joker-esque in the trailer but was kind of a let down.

[@peterparker9954]

That would have been like the movie SPLIT We don't want a split knock off

[@leavesofgold3479]

I want a prequel for Black Phone that goes into an origin story.

[@lalaverdecia]

This was my very first horror movie I’ve seen in theaters! So I guess I’ll say it’s a 10/10 for me! Amazing film!

[@xnng]

It was a great watch in theaters!!

[@Vibe_Nomad]

10 is too much, maybe 8 🤔

[@jaywitflaws]

Finally a video explained I been waiting since I watched the movie

[@francccakes]

Sinister was one of the scariest movies I've seen. I was scared of my younger sister for WEEKS after watching the movie

[@janeenharrison1953]

I am just glad they didn't go too dark and gave us the happy ending we all want, Vinney not only survived he kicked that perv's ass, YAHH Vinnie!! i love the underdog!