100 WORD FILM REVIEWS / The Black Phone
The Black Phone (2022): A
Image © Universal | Blumhouse
Colorado, 1978. Young Finney is abducted by the “Galesburg Grabber,” a Gacy-esque masked villain. In captivity, the Grabber’s victims call out to Finney (literally) on a disconnected telephone, posthumously sharing their failed survival strategies with him. Make no mistake: this story isn’t about The Grabber. It’s about the importance of male survivors’ voices. Truly, the horror at the heart of The Black Phone is the statistic it circles without disclosing: 1 in 6 men are victims of childhood sexual assault. Beyond the basement, into the audience, some are still awaiting rescue: for them, the phone’s still ringing.
Lisa Nohner, Guest Contributor
