Universal Pictures has released the newest trailer for Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone.” The newest period horror thriller stars Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight) as a masked serial killer who abducts young children. When 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) is the killer’s latest victim, he finds himself trapped in a soundproof basement with a discoonected phone. And when that same disconnected phone starts to ring, it’s from the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
“The Black Phone” has been made a few select showings in the past few months where it has received nothing but praise from those lucky enough to see it. Even the trailer makes note of the fact that if you haven’t heard of “The Black Phone” now, you will know of it after watching this trailer. And watching Hawke as dressed a pale-faced magician with a disarmingly warm voice would certainly let anyone’s guard down.
While there is a supernatural element at play, “The Black Phone” leans heavily into the real world nightmare of missing children and the absolute terror parents go through when they found out that their child has been kidnapped. And the fact that the previous victims are there to aid in Finney’s escape rather than act as a malevolent force is refreshing to see.
As aforementioned, Universal makes use of some of the early reactions the film has gotten through film festivals that praise Hawke’s terrifying performance. In fact, these reactions have been so positive that the studio rescheduled “The Black Phone’s” original February release date to a summer release. That just shows the level of confidence they have in the film as it is now set to be released along side some of the most anticipated blockbusters of the season.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for “The Black Phone:”
The phone is dead. And it’s ringing.
Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new horror thriller. Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and James Ransone also star.
Written by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, based on the short story by Joe Hill, “The Black Phone” opens in theaters on June 24, 2022.
