Halloween Horrorfest: Bram Stoker's Dracula

 

It's hard to believe that this year marks the 30th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's iconic and unique re-telling of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was a movie I long had a fondness for in my teenage years, having seen it many times on VHS. However, when I re-visited it for this review it had been quite awhile since I last watched it and it was a joy to rediscover it again. 

In 1462, Vlad the Impaler (played by Gary Oldman) has returned from a campaign against the Ottoman Empire to discover his beloved wife Elisabeta (played by Winona Ryder) has committed suicide after being falsely told that Vlad had been killed in battle. When a priest tells Vlad that his wife's soul is damned to hell for committing suicide, he becomes enraged and desecrates the church, renouncing God and vowing to return from the grave with the powers of darkness to have his revenge for his wife's death. In 1897, now known as Count Dracula, he welcomes solicitor Jonathan Harker (played by Keanu Reeves), who has traveled to Transylvania to assist the Count with finalizing his recent real estate acquisitions in London. Dracula catches sight of Harker's fiancée, Mina (played by Winona Ryder), and is struck by the resemblance she bears to his beloved late wife and believes she is her reincarnated. Leaving Harker behind, Dracula travels to London to claim his new home and meet Mina. Once there, he begins to hypnotically seduce and feed on Mina's friend Lucy (played by Sadie Frost), who Mina is staying with while Harker is in Transylvania. He also begins planning chance meetings with Mina, who initially rejects Dracula, but begins to find something strangely alluring about him. Meanwhile, Lucy grows more and more ill prompting the family doctor (and former suitor) Dr. Seward (played by Richard E. Grant) to summon his mentor to assist, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (played by Anthony Hopkins). Upon examining her, he deduces that she is the victim of multiple vampire attacks, putting them, as well as former suitors Arthur Holmwood (played by Cary Elwes) and Quincy Morris (played by Billy Campbell) on the hunt for Dracula. 

Francis Ford Coppola directed the film from a script by James V. Hart based on, of course, the classic novel from Bram Stoker. The resulting film is one that is in many ways a big departure from both the classic Universal and the Hammer iterations of Dracula that many are familiar with, portraying the titular character in a much more tragic light and a heavier focus on gothic romance. The style of the film goes for something a bit more visually unique, while also feeling of the time periods it takes place it, going for what is visually interesting over what is necessarily 100% period accurate. Then Coppola and his crew contrasts this with the use of strictly old school visual effects, including miniatures, matte paintings and in camera effects instead of the then burgeoning array of digital visual effects. Since the bulk of the film takes place at a time when filmmaking was just beginning, it reflects the time period and the films of the time in a authentic way that adds it's own flavor to the movie. Of course, the movie also includes the hallmarks of a contemporary horror movie, including explicit sensuality and gore, adding another layer to the film as well. The costume design of the film is exquisite, giving real style to each of the characters and adding to the unique visuals of the film, perhaps most memorably for me in the armor Vlad wears in the opening scenes of the film.  

The film boasts an impressive cast led by Gary Oldman as Dracula. His rendition of the character is an interesting one and unlike perhaps any other I have seen. When we first meet him, he's a decrepit old ghoul of sorts, shut away in his isolated castle, cut off from most of society. He almost relishes the ways he torments Jonathan Harker. Yet, later when he appears in London, now on a mission to reunite with his long lost love, he's youthful, charming and romantic, at least towards Mina. It's a delicate balance but Oldman pulls it off. I also have to applaud him, even all these years later, for all the time he must have endured in the make-up chair for the various visages of Dracula he had to play, ranging from old, to a bat-like creature, to a wolf-like creature we witness in one memorable scene. It's flawless and he plays through it all wonderfully. Winona Ryder does well in her dual role as both Elisabeta and Mina, especially in the latter role as she tries to resist her growing attraction to Dracula, not even entirely understanding her draw to him. Anthony Hopkins makes for a great Van Helsing, making the character his own, with little patience for small talk and a lack of tact, often played to humorous effect. Much of the exposition of what vampires are and what they can do falls to Van Helsing and Hopkins handles it well. Now, I suppose I have to talk about Keanu Reeves. So much has been made of his performance in this film over the years, I'm not sure what else there is to say. Yes, he was probably miscast in the role, but it's clear he is trying so hard to nail the British accent and give a good performance, I just wish he had loosened up a little, tried not to focus on nailing the accent so hard and been a bit more natural in the role. Still, he's trying so hard and it's not so terrible that it ruins the movie, unlike what some others on the internet like to claim. I don't blame him for taking the role. Getting the opportunity to work with Coppola, Hopkins and Oldman would have been impossible to resist.        

Thirty years on, and I still can't quite believe it's been that long, Bram Stoker's Dracula still holds up marvelously for me. It's a brilliantly made gothic horror film, made with style and imagination, filled with fantastic performances and backed by a great script. It's got a bit more substance to it than some of the other well known adaptations (and I have by no means seen them all) to make this a more well-rounded viewing. I found it just as entertaining and engaging as I did when I first saw it back in the early 90s. It's certainly one that has lasted too, almost as immortal as it's title character, popping periodically in theater screenings around Halloween and numerous home video releases, most recently in a 4K Blu-Ray release. Watching it again it's easy to see why. 

Hocus Pocus 2

Over the course of the past 29 (!) years, Hocus Pocus has gone from box office flop (because some genius thought they should release it in the middle of summer!) to a bonafide Halloween institution rivaled only by Pumpkin Spice. For years, there were rumors of a sequel fueled by fan  demand to see the Sanderson Sisters ride again. Finally, a sequel was announced to premiere on Disney+. The question is can is possibly hold up to the classic original film? 

In 1653 Salem, young Winifred Sanderson (played by Taylor Henderson) is banished from Salem by Reverend Traske (played by Tony Hale) for refusing to marry John Pritchett. Not wanting to be separated from their sister, Mary (played by Nina Kitchen) and Sarah (played by Juju Brener) join her as they make their escape into the Forbidden Forest. Soon, they encounter another witch (played by Hannah Waddingham), who upon seeing the inherent magical talents Winifred possesses, gifts her with her spell book for her sixteenth birthday. She warns them against performing one spell, the Magice Maxima, as it is far too dangerous to attempt. On Halloween 2022, 29 years after the Sanderson Sisters' last rampage in Salem, best friends Becca (played by Whitney Peak) and Izzy (played by Belissa Escobedo) visit the Olde Salem Magic Shoppe, run by Gilbert (played by Sam Richardson). In honor of Becca's sixteenth birthday, he gifts her a candle for the girls' annual birthday ritual. Turns out the candle is a Black Flame candle, which being lit on Halloween night on a full moon by a virgin naturally brings back Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). After quickly outwitting the Sisters, it falls to Becca and Izzy to try and stop the Sanderson Sisters and save the town of Salem after Winifred decides to forego her usual spells and finally do the Magicae Maxima to ensure the destruction of Salem and especially the town mayor, Jeffrey Traske (played by Tony Hale), a direct descendant of the man who originally banished her from Salem.

The film was directed by Anne Fletcher from a script by Jen D'Angelo. I was impressed that the filmmakers managed to craft a film that at once felt familiar without being too familiar. It would have been so easy for this to devolve into a more of the same sequel but it does add enough new wrinkles to keep things interesting and fresh. I appreciated the bit of backstory we got on the Sanderson Sisters at the beginning as well as how that fed into the rest of the story. Of course, there are a few callbacks to the original film as well as familiar gags, including the Sisters being baffled by modern technology. The biggest callback is revisiting the gag of Sarah and Mary having to find substitutes for brooms to ride on, this time with Sarah opting for a Swiffer Wet Jet and Mary balancing on a pair of Roombas as appropriate and funny 21st century upgrades. The plot does take some surprising turns, hitting some unexpected poignancy that I was surprised by but also appreciated, to pair with all the shenanigans and silliness. 

Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker slip right back into their iconic roles as though no time has passed at all. It is a delight to see them back in action as Winifred, Mary and Sarah Sanderson as they bicker their way through another mayhem filled Halloween night. Midler once again captures that perfect exasperation Winifred has for her sisters. Najimy is great as Mary, once again the rather oblivious and lovable sister. Parker hits the right notes as Sarah, just as dimwitted and fun-loving as ever. Whitney Peak and Belissa Escobedo make for good heroines for the film as Becca and Izzy who find it their responsibility to stop the Sanderson sisters after unwittingly bringing them back. I enjoyed the added wrinkle of Becca discovering she has some burgeoning witch powers of her own to add a new wrinkle to the proceedings. Sam Richardson has an interesting character arc as Gilbert, the owner of the Magic shoppe who tricks Becca and Izzy with the Black Flame candle he gives them to bring the Sanderson Sisters back. He grew up believing the Sisters were simply misunderstood and wanted to meet them only for them to turn out to be driven by revenge and wanting to destroy the city. Taylor Henderson absolutely slays as a young Winifred in the beginning of the film, with Nina Kitchen and Juju Brener equally capturing a young Mary and Sarah, making the prologue a delight to watch. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing a prequel starring them showing how the Sanderson Sisters got their start. 

Is Hocus Pocus 2 as good as the original film? No, of course not. Comedy sequels are notoriously hard to pull off and this one doesn't quite recapture the spark of the first one. That's not to say it's not worth watching as it makes for an amusing start to Spooky Season and does still pair well with the original. I would say the pluses far outweigh the minuses on this one and if you're a fan of the original film chances are you'll enjoy the sequel as well. The film does include a tease for a potential third film. I'd be up for it, but I hope we don't have to wait as long.         

Bros

 

I've long been a fan of the romantic comedy genre. It's a deceptively tough genre to get right, as so much hangs not only on the conventions of the genre itself and how fresh of a story the film is telling but also the chemistry between the two leads. Of course, it also helps if the film is actually funny. I am happy to report that Bros, the new rom-com from Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller, succeeds on all these fronts. It is charming, romantic and frequently very funny. 

Bobby Lieber (played by Billy Eichner) hosts a successful LGBTQIA themed podcast, The Eleventh Brick of Stonewall, and also is on the board of a soon to open LGBTQIA History Museum in New York. He claims to be fine being single and finds fulfillment in his work...and the occasional Grindr hookup. On a night out with his friend Henry (played by Guy Branum), Bobby crosses paths with Aaron Shepherd (played by Luke Macfarlane), who Henry tells Bobby, is hot but boring. Still, the men keep bumping into each other over the course of the evening, each time have some snarky banter and each time Aaron suddenly disappearing on Bobby. When Bobby finally attempts to make a move, it is quickly rebuffed and the two part ways. Yet, a couple days later, Aaron texts Bobby out of the blue and after some back and forth banter over text, the two agree to hang out. As the two begin to spend more time together, it becomes clear that in many ways they are two very different people and yet a undeniable attraction exists between them nonetheless as they navigate their burgeoning relationship.

The film was directed by Nicholas Stoller from a script he wrote with Billy Eichner. Together, the two manage to craft a film that at once both subverts and honors the conventions of the romantic comedy genre. Stoller and Eichner mine a lot of humor out of gay relationships as well as the nature of dating in the age of apps like Grindr that really hit home for me as a gay man myself. They balance this with a very heartfelt look into both Bobby and Aaron's insecurities, giving the film an emotional weight in addition to the hearty laughs. It really helped me get more invested in both characters and really want to see them work things out to wind up together at the end (which is a foregone conclusion, honestly). The film also runs longer than the usual Rom-Com, clocking in at nearly two hours, but I never once felt it as I was watching it.         

The film has amassed an impressive cast that consists of entirely out LGBTQ actors, even in the straight roles, which I thought was a cool touch. Billy Eichner does great as Bobby Lieber. Of course, there are elements of the well established Billy Eichner persona on display throughout, with plenty of loud, smart-alecky moments with his character, but there are also moments where he allows his character to be more vulnerable and his insecurities come through, especially when he worries that he isn't what Aaron really wants in a potential boyfriend. It's a really heartfelt and relatable performance that hit home for me at several points in the film. Luke Macfarlane is great as Aaron and matches Billy Eichner as they trade witty one liners. But, like Eichner, he nails the deeper part of his character as well as Aaron starts to question the choices he made in life and wonders if he played it too safe. They also have fantastic chemistry with one another which made it easy to get invested in their burgeoning relationship. Guy Branum is a hoot as Bobby's friend Henry and I enjoyed his sassy repartee with Billy. Dot-Marie Jones, Jim Rash, Eve Lindley, Miss Lawrence, and TS Madison are hilarious as the other members of the Museum board Bobby is a part of as they all try to deal with the various issues of trying to get the museum up and running. Bowen Yang makes a cameo appearance as a potential investor in the museum and is hilarious as he pitches a very unique potential exhibit. 

Bros is a Romantic Comedy that manages to pull off both parts of it's genre quite well. It's genuinely romantic while also packing plenty of hearty laughs. The film has a fantastic cast and everyone delivers, including an assortment of cameos I wouldn't dare spoil. It's a fresh and funny entry in a beloved genre that we see far too little of in theatres these days, especially and LGBTQ centric one like this. 

Confess, Fletch

 

I've long been a fan of the first two Fletch movies, starring Chevy Chase as Los Angeles investigative reporter Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher. Of course, I was a Journalism student so of course films about a wise-cracking reporter would appeal to me. I followed the various attempts to reboot the series over the many years with interest. At one point, it was going to be a prequel with Jason Lee in the Fletch role in a film directed by Kevin Smith but that never came to fruition. Similar attempts by Bill Lawrence, Zach Braff, and Jason Sudekis to revive the series met similar fates. Imagine my surprise when this movie came out of nowhere and was just recently released in a limited theatrical and simultaneous Premium VOD release.

Fletch (played by Jon Hamm) has just arrived in Boston only to find a dead body in the townhouse he is staying in. When he calls the police to report the find, he winds up becoming the prime suspect by the two officers investigating the crime, Inspector Detective Monroe (played by Roy Wood, Jr) and Detective Griz (played by Ayden Mayeri) despite pointing out that not only did he report the crime, but also waited for them to arrive. Fletch was in town working on a story about a missing art collection belonging to Countess Di Grassi (played by Marcia Gay Harden). Fletch was on the case courtesy of his Italian girlfriend, Angela (played by Lorenza Izzo), is the daughter of Count and Countess Di Grassi. Her father, the Count, has been kidnapped with the ransom being one of the missing paintings. Fletch continues his investigation thinking the two cases may be connected and to try and clear his name. This leads him to a number of colorful suspects, including germaphobe art dealer Ronald Horan (played by Kyle MacLachlan) and a human disaster of a next door neighbor, Eve (played by Annie Mumolo), who seems to be a magnet for disaster just based on her first interaction with Fletch.   

The film was directed by Greg Mottola from a script he co-wrote with Zev Borow. The best thing the filmmakers could have done was not try to replicate the antics of Chevy Chase in the original films and they pull it off very nicely here, making the material their own. Still, the film is quite funny. They do manage to update the material to present day with ease without overdoing it. There are passing references to the pandemic, Fletch's repeated use of Uber or Lyft rides (exclaiming, "Five stars, buddy!" every time he exits one in an amusing running gag), and the current state of journalism with a certain level of wittiness. There is a delicate balance between the comedic and mystery elements that Mottola and his crew keep it throughout the film, never letting things get too silly. 

The cast for the film is magnificent. Jon Hamm does really well as the wisecracking Fletch, delivering near non-stop one-liners with ease. He makes the role his own, keeping the character quite lovable throughout all his assorted antics. Roy Wood, Jr. makes for a great foil for Fletch as Inspector Detective Monroe, who resists Fletch's attempts to help solve the case at every turn. Ayden Mayeri does well as junior Detective Griz, who tries to help Monroe solve the case while also finding more amusement in Fletch. Marcia Gay Harden is a hoot as Countess Di Grassi, adopting a very exaggerated Italian accent as her character repeatedly attempts to flirt with Fletch. Lorenza Izzo is a lot of fun as Angela and has some solid chemistry with Hamm. Annie Mumolo makes the most of her few scenes as Fletch's disaster prone neighbor, handling the comedic moments quite well. Kyle MacLachlan has fun with his character as well, the germophobic, EDM loving, art dealer and is clearly having fun with his character's eccentricities. 

Overall, Confess, Fletch is a fabulous update and reboot of the Fletch series. With a great mix of humor and mystery made this a satisfying watch. I hope this one does well enough because I would love to see further adventures of Jon Hamm as Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher. If nothing else, I know what to say every time I'm getting out of a Lyft ride now.  

Barbarian

 

After seeing Barbarian, I find myself staring that the screen wondering how I even begin to review this movie since so much of it's demented delights are in the surprises it holds. The trailer for the film was wisely enigmatic, hiding as much as possible from the audience and not showing anything beyond the first third of the film. But I will say the film gets so much wilder than I could have possibly imagined and it is all the better for it. It is best seen in the theater with a crowd, everyone reacting together, preferably going in knowing as little as possible. 

Tess Marshall (played by Georgina Campbell) has traveled to Detroit, Michigan for a job interview and rented a small house to stay in. When she arrives, she discovers the house has been double booked and is already occupied by another tenant, Keith Toshko (played by Bill Skarsgard). With it pouring rain and other hotels fully booked, the two begrudgingly agree to share the house with Tess taking the bedroom and Keith taking the couch (there is only one bedroom). The next morning, Tess goes to her job interview and when she tells her interviewer where she is staying is warned she shouldn't stay in that neighborhood. It turns out every house in the neighborhood aside from the one she is staying in is condemned and heavily vandalized. When she returns to the house, she can't help but explore the house a bit, discovering a hidden door in the basement that leads to a series of tunnels that run deep underground the house and probably even the neighborhood. Telling  Keith about what she found, he has to go explore for himself leading them to discover that the two of them are not as alone as they thought. 

The film was written and directed by Zach Cregger and I have to say he has crafted a corker of a tale. Of course, this makes it difficult to review the film because I want to make sure I don't reveal any of the surprises this film has in store for it's audience (and there is more than one, for sure). That said, Cregger juggles these shifts in plot quite well, even as they are jarring for the audience but I think that was the point. There were moments where I wanted to audibly exclaim, "What?!" at the screen throughout, yet I was still having fun with the movie. The hook of the story and how it starts out is even unique, although I have a feeling "untold horrors discovered in the AirBnB" is going to quickly become a new horror movie trope. Throughout the beginning of the movie, I wasn't sure where it was going. The film had me on my toes from the get go, having me second guess everything and wondering when and how this scenario was going to go sideways. I was hooked from the beginning and wondering how the story was going to develop and I love it when a movie is able to do that. 

Georgina Campbell is great as the smart and resourceful Tess. She gives her character real tenacity and smarts as she works through whatever scenario she faces. She gives some real depth to her character and made her one I instantly liked and rooted for to survive. Bill Skarsgard does well with the character of Keith and does an interesting job with the role, giving a performance that could be read one of two ways. His character is already at the AirBnB when Tess arrives and while he is perfectly welcoming, I was never quite sure we could trust him. He goes out of his way to seem trustworthy, offering to make Tess tea to warm up from the cold, rainy night, as well as a bottle of wine, which he waits to open until she is there just so she could make sure he didn't drug it, which is both considerate and yet a curiously specific denial, raising red flags nonetheless. As more weirdness occurs from there, one wonders is it Keith doing it...or something else? Rounding out the main cast is a surprise appearance of Justin Long as A.J Gilbride. He gives a hilarious performance as a sitcom actor who finds himself in the midst of a scandal. How he ties into the story, I will leave for the viewer to discover. However, I was impressed with the depth Long gives to his character as well as giving him a bit more shades of gray than we would normally expect. 

Overall, Barbarian is a movie that I certainly had a blast watching but it may not be for everyone. One's ability or desire to keep up with the shifting tones and dramatic plot twists is going to vary, if the post screening feedback from my friends was anything to go by with some not sure they loved it while others, myself included, enjoyed the craziness. I did find it amusing that the beginning of the movie had the exact same set up as the terrible Netflix Rom-Com Love in the Villa, albeit with very different outcomes between the two movies, of course. I'm not saying one is ripping off the other, especially since both are coming out at the same time, but it is an amusing coincidence that had me chuckling to myself in the theatre.  

Nope

 

I can only admire the way the mystery behind Jordan Peele's latest film, Nope, was revealed over the past year. It started with a very enigmatic teaser poster that got everyone guessing what it could be about, immediately generating interest in the movie. It wasn't until the second trailer that we got an idea that the movie was going to be a Sci-Fi thriller about UFOs but even then there is more to it than it appears. 

Otis "OJ" Haywood, Jr (played by Daniel Kaluuya) runs a small horse ranch outside Los Angeles with his sister Em (played by Keke Palmer) that they inherited when their father, Otis Sr. (played by Keith David) died suddenly. On the ranch, they train and loan out horses for movie productions. When they are fired from a production after an onset accident that wasn't their fault, the ranch's financial woes become even more dire, forcing OJ to start selling some of the horses to a nearby tourist attraction, an old west town called Jupiter's Claim, run by former child star Ricky "Jupe" Park (played by Steven Yeun). They soon begin to notice strange electrical fluctuations around the ranch as well as their horses are starting to disappear or react violently to an unknown presence. One night, while out searching for one of the horses, OJ catches a glimpse of what appears to be a UFO in the night sky. OJ and Em sense a chance to make some money and turn to local tech installer Angel Torres (played by Brandon Perea) to set up cameras around the property to try and get a great shot of the UFO with hopes of selling the photos to raise enough money to save the family ranch.  

The film was written and directed by Jordan Peele, who has a lot of fun with this film as he plays with the mythos of UFOs and their effect on his characters. I appreciated the limited scope the film has, focusing on the Haywood ranch as well as the nearby Jupiter Claim where this particular UFO has an interest in, especially the horses on the ranch. In fact, it is an interesting touch that the film is broken up into chapters, with each one named after one of the ranch's horses. I appreciated the way Peele crafts his tale, as the story unfolds as the film goes on and the mystery of this UFO is revealed, including why it's there and what it wants. Of course, any thriller like this has to create a compelling reason for our characters to not just throw in the towel and get out (pun intended), and Peele give his characters a good one. But as the film goes on, figuring out what the UFO is and capturing proof of it quickly becomes an obsession for them, giving us shades of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  

The film has a fantastic cast led by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as OJ and Em Haywood. The two of them play off one another wonderfully and have a strong sibling dynamic, with OJ more determined to keeping the family ranch going and Em being a bit more of a free spirit who feels they should take the deal to sell the ranch to Ricky Park. This naturally leads to a bit of conflict between the two which Kaluuya and Palmer portray quite well, as well as the strong bond the lies beneath and comes to the forefront once they decide to try and capture photographic proof of the UFO they've both seen. Brandon Perea has a lot of fun with his role as Angel Torres, who enters the story initially as the installer for the security cameras OJ and Em have installed around the property, but gets more and more involved in their plans to capture proof of the UFO, becoming just as obsessed as they are. Michael Wincott rounds out the main cast as a famed cinematographer Antlers Holst that OJ and Em turn to for help capture irrefutable evidence of the UFO hanging around the valley their ranch is. Wincott has a lot of fun with the role of the fussy and pretentious cinematographer. Steven Yeun is great as Ricky "Jupe" Park, a former child star who is trading on his best remember role in an old T.V show with his roadside theme park, Jupiter's Claim. There is a shadier side to the character too, as he also has a hidden display to another show he was on as a kid with a far more tragic history that he is only too happy to exploit, provided a guest knows to ask about it. Steven Yeun plays both sides of this character quite well. 

Of course, with this review I am dancing around a lot of potential spoilers as I want to maintain as many of the film's surprises as possible and there are several. As with his previous films, Jordan Peele works in several themes into his films, including themes involving the history of filmmaking and minorities within that industry and the public's need for spectacle. As always, there is more than what initially appears to be with this film. I thought I knew what I was getting into going into this one, but there was still plenty to be revealed. I enjoyed the hell out of this one and look forward to seeing it again because there were certain things even I missed the first time through.     

The Black Phone

 

I've long been a fan of filmmakers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill as well as author Joe Hill, so the three of them coming together to make a new movie was an enticing prospect indeed. With a riveting story and a stellar cast to back them up, this is one of the best horror movies I have seen in quite awhile. 

In 1978, a Denver suburb has been experiencing a series of child abductions following an eerie pattern. The person behind them, known only as The Grabber (played by Ethan Hawke), has remained elusive even as his attacks have become increasingly bold with no witnesses. Finney Blake (played by Mason Thames) is growing increasingly concerned, especially when kids he knows are taken, including Bruce (played by Tristan Pravong) and Robin (played by Miguel Cazarez Mora). Meanwhile, his sister Gwen (played by Madeline McGraw) has been having psychic dreams, giving her details about The Grabber that there is no other way she could have known, catching the attention of the two detectives working the case (played by E. Roger Mitchell and Troy Rudeseal), which angers their alcoholic father (played by Jeremy Davies) after he gets a visit from the detectives. When Finney himself is kidnapped, he his knocked out by The Grabber and awakes in a soundproof basement that is sealed by a heavy metal door, and has only a bed, bolted to the floor, a toilet and a disconnected phone on the wall - the titular black phone. Much to his surprise, the phone starts ringing. At first, no one is there, but soon enough voices come through. Voices of the ghosts of The Grabber's previous victims and they are determined to help Finney survive, telling him what he needs to do to defeat the Grabber and escape. Meanwhile, Gwen's dreams become more intense, giving her clues as to where her brother is being held sending her on her own journey to desperately try to find the house and alert the authorities.  

The film was directed by Scott Derrickson from a script he co-wrote with C. Robert Cargill, based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill. The film is an excellent adaptation of the source material, taking what was on the page and expanding on it beautifully to bring the story to feature length. Derrickson and Cargill take their time with laying out the story and establishing the characters which makes the story all the more richer because we are not only familiar with the kids Finney talks to later in the film as well as establishing the fractured and volatile (if not downright abusive) home life of Finney and Gwen. This set-up is important though, because it all pays off wonderfully as the film goes on and into the climax. Stylistically, the film feels like a spirtual successor to their previous collaboration, Sinister, with some of the same stylistic touches, especially with the grainier film look to depict Gwen's prophetic dreams as opposed to the rest of the of the film. I enjoyed the way that Derrickson handles the segments of the film where Finney is talking to the ghosts through the phone. Where it could have been just voices on the phone, instead he opts to show the ghosts of the kids in the scene talking to Finney (even though Finney can't see the ghosts), giving us more to see and respond to as viewers (as well as giving us a couple solid jump scares too). 

The film has a fantastic cast assembled, with Mason Thames in the lead as Finney. He does a great job carrying the film, for a long stretch of it mainly on his own as he is trapped in the room and has to work out how to try and escape from his prison. He really shows his character's fear and also his resolve to survive, working through each obstacle as he gets a step closer to freedom, as well as his frustrations when he hits a setback. It's a marvelous performance making Finney a character that is easy to root for. Madeline McGraw is equally compelling as Gwen, Finney's sister. She is a fantastic character and portrayed wonderfully by McGraw. She's not afraid of her psychic abilities and tries desperately to hone them to try and help find her brother. She also plays off Mason Thames well as the two easily establish a strong sibling bond throughout the movie. Ethan Hawke is memorably creepy as The Grabber, where the film slowly reveals his character and inclinations as the film goes on. Hawke hits the right notes from the get go when we get our first real interaction with The Grabber and Finney as he uses a carefully planned ruse to get Finney to drop his guard until it's too late. Ethan Hawke is fearless as he depicts The Grabber as a serious creep as the film goes on and reveals just how twisted he really is, but yet the performance is grounded in a way that makes him more fleshed out and real rather than as a cartoonish or over the top villain. He feels like the sort of sicko you could encounter in real life, albeit with certain affectations including a very creepy mask that has interchangeable expressions. Jeremy Davies does excellent work as Finney and Gwen's father. In what could have been another stereotypical alcoholic dad role, Davies finds a lot of nuance in the role. It's clear he loves his kids and wants what's best for them, but also has a real temper and does lash out at them. There is a great scene early in the film when they are gathering around the breakfast table and his character is clearly hungover, wincing at every sound, either Finney slurping his cereal milk or Gwen opening the breadbox. You can tell his character wants to yell at them to be quiet, but he doesn't, he pulls back. It's such a wonderful character moment and there are a number of them throughout the film. Miguel Cazarez Mora makes quite an impression with his limited screen time as Robin as a friend of Finney's who sticks up from Finney from school bullies and encourages him to stick up for himself. He's only in a few scenes but he nails each one in a way that pays off perfectly by the end of the movie. James Ransone has a fun supporting turn as Max, a early potential suspect only to turn out to be someone who has been obsessively following the case himself trying to figure out who The Grabber is.  

The Black Phone is one of the more satisfying horror movies I have seen in recent memory. With a compelling story, well drawn characters, sharp writing and stylish direction this one was firing on all cylinders. I was glued to the screen throughout from beginning to end. The film has it's share of good scares, but I also appreciated the focus more on psychological horror rather than buckets of gore, making the story that much more impactful. I also appreciated that the more supernatural elements of the story were left a bit ambiguous, with some hints that Finney and Gwen's mother may have had similar gifts as well, to allow the audiences to draw their own conclusions. I hate it when movies feel the need to over-explain everything but Derrickson and Cargill strike just the right note with this one and it is all the more satisfying for it.