Spoiler Warning: The Black Phone
As of late, life has become rather scary. Though one might think that an increasingly unstable social sphere would warrant more movie studious to create fun flicks, the reverse is, in fact, true. Folks do not find solace in whimsical entertainment when life gets hard. Rather, it is the more macabre side of the films, the horror genre, that truly thrives in difficult times. Stressed-out filmgoers want to see people who are having a more challenging time than them, and in most horror movies, the characters are definitely having a rough go of things. This is certainly the case in The Black Phone, a recently released horror flick that has garnered positive from critics and audiences alike.
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The Black Phone represents the best of both worlds in the horror genre, combining real-life terror with fiction. However, a horror film is only as good as its monster. Fortunately for The Black Phone, that monster is The Grabber, a serial child abductor played by the wildly talented A-list actor Ethan Hawke (The Northman, Moon Knight).
Here are a few reasons why Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber is terrifying in The Black Phone.
Ethan Hawke’s Horrifying Performance
Universal Pictures
Ethan Hawke is no stranger to performing in horror films. In 2012, Hawke portrayed struggling true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt in Sinister. This deeply disturbing supernatural horror film features a series of familicide-themed videos that are not for the faint of heart. Sinister was directed by Scott Derrickson, who also took on the adaptation of The Black Phone, which is based on a Joe Hill story.
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Aside from his horror experience, Ethan Hawke has played a villain before. Still, one would be hard-pressed to recall a character in his impressive acting history quite so horrifying as The Grabber. Even underneath the series of masks his character wears, which will be touched upon, he is able to convey the character’s deep psychopathy. Whether Hawke’s murderous character is cocking his head and taunting his captive Finney or sprinting down a suburban street in pursuit of the horrified child, his performance is deeply disturbing.
The Grabber’s Psychological Manipulation
The supernatural aspects of The Black Phone primarily involve the titular black phone. It allows the film’s protagonist, Mason Thames’ (After Omelas, For All Mankins) Finney, to communicate with the deceased victims of Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber. However, the primary horror in the film comes from the cruel psychological manipulation that The Grabber inflicts upon young Finney.
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At one point in The Black Phone, The Grabber leaves the door to the basement unlocked. Finney is about to escape when he gets a call on the black phone. The voice of one of The Grabber’s past victims tells him that the unlocked door is a psychological game that Hawke’s character plays with his victims, which he calls “Naughty Boy.” This set the tone for the rest of the film, and the absolute horror lies in being unable to interpret the intentions of The Grabber.
The Grabber’s Monstrous Mask
A large part of a horror film antagonist’s success hinges on their look. Horror fans can sit through an entire film, trembling in terror at some unseen specter or lurching murderer, only to find all of their tension washed away if the film’s antagonist doesn’t look as scary as what the viewer’s mind’s eye could conjure up. The appearance of a murderer or monster is all the more important when said horror is visible throughout the film’s runtime, as is the case here.
In The Black Phone, Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber utilizes a series of horrifying masks that serve a dual purpose: to conceal his identity and to strike fear into the hearts of his kidnapping victims. The masks are disparate. Some have toothy, devilish grins, while others are twisted into sordid frowns. Though Ethan Hawke is still able to deliver a dynamic performance behind the disturbing masks, it is impossible to determine The Grabber’s true intentions.
The Black Phone is considered a successful adaptation by many who watched it, and it struck fear into the hearts of audiences all across the country. The film was so well received that there have even been discussions of a sequel, which can be fairly common within the horror genre. Though The Grabber was killed at the end of The Black Phone, his neck snapped by Finney with the titular phone extendable cord, the movie utilized certain supernatural elements that would allow Ethan Hawke’s terrifying character to return in a future film.
Fans of The Black Phone will continue to call for a sequel, and if said sequel comes to fruition, Ethan Hawke will undoubtedly make a terrifying return as The Grabber.
