The Black Phone (2022)

Most people think so. 80% of audiences gave it a thumbs up based on 5,708 votes. Critics agree, scoring it 73%.

Finney Blake, 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. Wikipedia ↗

The Black Phone is a 2022 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, based on Joe Hill's 2004 short story. Mason Thames stars as Finney Shaw, a shy 13-year-old boy in 1978 suburban Denver who is abducted by a serial child killer known as the Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke in a chilling departure from his dramatic roles. Imprisoned in a soundproofed basement, Finney discovers that a disconnected black phone on the wall rings with calls from the Grabber's previous victims, each ghost offering clues and advice to help Finney escape.

Ethan Hawke's performance, delivered behind a series of grotesque, interchangeable masks, was a masterclass in physical menace — his body language, soft-spoken threats, and childlike game-playing created one of the most unsettling horror villains in years. Mason Thames carried the film with a performance of genuine fear and growing determination that made his survival feel earned rather than predetermined. The Black Phone earned $161 million worldwide on a $18 million budget.