Editor's note: The below article contains spoilers for The Black Phone.When you go to the movies to see a horror film, you surely expect to see some blood, jump scares, and death… but what about a surprisingly heartwarming brother-sister bond? The Black Phone, the latest offering from the Blumhouse Productions, the horror hub that’s behind films such as Insidious, Happy Death Day, and Paranormal Activity, not only offers up some spooks, but also a refreshing take on sibling dynamics.
Based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill and directed by Sinister’s Scott Derrickson, this horror thriller takes place in a small suburban Denver town in 1978 that’s haunted by the elusive child killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a mask-wearing man who poses as a traveling magician and lures children into his black “Abracadabra” van. At the core of the story is Finney (Mason Thames), an unassuming 13-year-old boy who struggles to fit in with his rowdy and obnoxious peers. His home life isn’t much of a reprieve from the hell of the school hallways. He and his younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) are being raised by their alcoholic and abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies), who’s traumatized from the passing of his troubled wife, who died by suicide not too long ago.
Little is known or revealed about the origins of The Grabber, which is a bold but smart storytelling move. What we do know, however, is that no child is safe. Finney’s classmates Bruce (Tristan Pravong), a popular baseball player and Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora), a tough kid who looks after Finney, are among the growing number of children who are never seen again after innocently riding their bikes near the black van. If those two could easily become victims, Finney realizes that he very well might be next. At the same time, Gwen is experiencing psychic dreams which feature detailed accounts of the kidnappings, though Detectives Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Miller (Tory Rudeseal), who are trying to decipher The Grabber mystery are having a hard time believing such a mouthy and brazen young girl.
There are many opinions about the film, with some saying it lacks significant jump scares and the story overall runs a bit slow, while others say the lack of backstory for The Grabber enhances his character. But the most compelling part of the story is the relationship between the two wildly different siblings. Instead of falling into the trap of stereotypical sibling squabbles and conversations that inevitably culminate in bickering and teasing, Finney and Gwen are genuinely best friends, something that another student even acknowledges and is envious of.
Finney is perpetually out of place. His quiet and mature personality is easily shoved aside by bullies both at home and at school. In the first interaction we see him have with his father, he’s scolded for the way he slurps his cereal. The rambunctious, competitive, and Wild West-esque environment of school makes him an easy target for nagging bullies Buzz (Spencer Fitzgerald), Matty (Jordan Isaiah White), and Matt (Brady M. Ryan). Rather than being embarrassed to be seen with his younger sister, spotting Gwen on the toxic school grounds fills Finney with immense relief.
Similarly, Gwen, who is far more confident and socially-acceptable than Finney, can’t wait to walk home with her brother and swap stories about their day. When Finney’s thrown to the ground and beaten by his classmates, Gwen doesn’t hesitate to unleash her tiny but mighty fury on the bullies even though she knows it’ll mean that she will soon be sporting a nasty bloody nose. She roots for him at his baseball games and he confides in her about a crush he has on a girl at school. Rather than dismissing him and saying that having a crush on someone is gross, she playfully teases him and makes him laugh. They carefully divvy up the ice cream that’s left in the freezer, and Finney doesn't feel the need to hide his love of science. He also shows an interest in Gwen's psychic dreams, even when their barbarous father vehemently discourages any talk about the sensitive subject. Their unstable home life might’ve forced them to grow up, but it didn’t force them to be friends.
Just as Gwen does for Finney at school, Finney steps in to protect his sister when he hears her deafening cries from the kitchen, a sound that the three of them have unfortunately become used to. Gwen’s experiencing the same sort of psychic abilities that ultimately drove her mother to her death. Naturally, this elicits fear from her father, who, along with several others, believed his late wife to be mentally ill, and her alleged psychic dreams figments of her imagination. The father’s disbelief, however, tragically leads to him beating Gwen with a belt and demanding that they never speak of said dreams ever again. Finney doesn’t let these threats get in the way of learning what his sister is going through, and is sure to inquire about them when the coast is clear. After being abused, berated, and pushed to tears, the siblings huddle up together in the dark, finding solace in the innocent hit show Emergency! and knowing that the other isn’t going anywhere. This of course, makes it all the more devastating when Finney’s the next one to slip into The Grabber’s hands.
The strong bond these two share continues to strengthen after Finney is kidnapped. Gwen frequently kneels in front of her makeshift altar (a dollhouse with a handful of religious objects) and tries her best to reason with Jesus, someone she thinks might be able to help with her dreams and get Finney back. The specificity and accuracy of her dreams, along with her unwavering determination to prove that they are in fact legitimate, helps keep the authorities from swerving too far in the wrong direction. She’s eventually able to lead the detectives to the soundproof basement where her brother’s been trapped and fielding mysterious calls with survival tips from The Grabber’s recent victims.
Finney outsmarting and breaking the neck of The Grabber is of course rewarding for the audience, who’s been on his side from the moment they saw him on the pitcher’s mound in the opening scene. But it’s his emotional reunion with his sister and their deeply regretful father that is the most satisfying part of the film. Even though it is a horror film about an axe-wielding child murderer, it's The Black Phone's depiction of a sweet and unconventional sibling relationship that's the glue holding this creepy and clever film together.