July 7, 2022
In 1978, there had been a series of disappearances of young boys in North Denver perpetrated by a mysterious man called "The Grabber." One day, while walking home from school, Finney Blake (Mason Thames) encountered a middle-aged man (Ethan Hawke) dressed in black standing outside his black van, inviting Finney if he'd like to see some magic. When Finney asked about the black balloons in the van, he was pushed in and abducted.
Writer-director Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "Doctor Strange") adapted the story from a 2004 short story of the same title by Joe Hill. He effectively recreated the suburban atmosphere of small town America in the late 1970s with meticulous production design, costume design, hair and makeup, and classic rock musical soundtrack. Cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz shot the action with a filter that gave the colors a faded look, as old films from those years look like now.
The crime angle involving serial kidnappings and murders of teenage boys was an already unsettling enough subject matter. The reality aspect was intensified further by scenes of brutal bullying in schools and abusive violence at home. However, this story added more creepiness and scare factor by invoking the supernatural. Finney had a precocious little sister Gwen (a delightful Madeleine McGraw) who possessed extra-sensory abilities of precognitive dreams.
The title referred to a black rotatory telephone unit mounted on the wall beside the bed in the room where Finney was being held captive. This wires of this telephone had been cut, much to Finney's dismay, yet one day, it began to ring. When Finney picked up the receiver from its cradle, he would hear various disembodied voices, all trying to advise him about possible ways to escape his prison and his crazy masked captor.
Child actors Thames (age 14) and McGraw (age 13) are both very spunky and likable for us to root them on. Ethan Hawke (star of Derrickson's 2012 film "Sinister") was all sorts of deranged and scary as the unpredictable masked Grabber though there wasn't more background about him. James Ransone (also from "Sinister" and its 2015 sequel) was amusing as Grabber's brother Max. Jeremy Davies gave sinister feels as Finney and Gwen's father.
This film shared vibes with Stephen King's "It" and Netflix's "Stranger Things", with its throwback mix of kids, crime, supernatural phenomenon and popular culture, yet it manages to come up with its own brand of chilling tension. Although you may raise an occasional eyebrow as to why the Grabber left so many items in the room which the boys could use as materials to use for their escape attempts. 7/10.
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