Film Review:" Black Phone"

Eager to check out this movie due to the fact it is an adaptation of a Joe Hill story, I confident the writing would be solid. Granted this is the one book of his i have not read. Little did I know it would serve to use the same themes as found in his other book "NO4A2". As a parent the thought of kidnapped kids is pretty horrific, but a plot all too similar to "N0S4A2". Granted no vampires in Christmas land. Instead, we get a Stephen King like kids in peril thriller from him.  Was the movie well made? Yes, though it was cashing in on the formula already used by "Stranger Things" to some extent. Both are influenced by Stephen King, so there is that. 

The kids acting might have been the best part of the movie as most the adults felt like they were overacting.  In many ways there was elements of this movie that reminded me of "the Lovely Bones". Some of these were in the plot points. The tone of the film stylistically was also similar though, this movie was not as visually interesting as the Lovely Bones. Sure, there is the ghosts giving him at advice, which is a pretty common horror trope.  Ethan Hawke being the exception when it comes to the adult actors in this movie, as he is certainly creepy enough to get the job done, though until Moonknight not someone you would think of in that light. 

This felt like a straight to streaming release, though I know it did receive a theatrical run. I would have been pissed if I paid to see this move. Watching it at my leisure in the comfort of my phone makes the more mediocre elements seem ok, because Not having to go to the extra work of leaving the house, seems to begin a trend of lowering our expectations to what we might expect from television budget. This is hurting theaters as if you go into a movie not expecting a bigger spectacle than what you get from American Horror Story on the small screen then what added incentive does the theater experience have ? No that this film is at fault but a part of a bigger problem.