For lovers of Sinister, this is a fairly significant occasion.
Ethan Hawke played the main character of a true-crime writer who is looking into a succession of gruesome killings in the 2012 horror film directed by Scott Derrickson. Ethan didn’t reprise his part, and Scott didn’t return to direct the follow-up.
Ten years later, they are working together once more on The Black Phone, which has received praise from critics and widespread recognition.
Since directing the MCU hit Doctor Strange in 2016, Scott hasn’t worked as a feature picture director. It’s wonderful to see him return to the genre where he first found success.
Is The Black Phone based on a true story, then?
IS THE STORY OF THE BLACK PHONE REAL?
The Black Phone is not based on a factual occurrence; rather, it is a 2004 short fiction by Joe Hill of the same name.
It’s one of the several short pieces that were included in 20th Century Ghosts, the American author’s debut book-length publication. It first appeared on store shelves in the UK in 2005, and then in the US it was unveiled as a collection in 2007.
Other stories included the titular short, Pop Art, and Best New Horror.
For those who are unsure of what to expect from the film adaptation, a teenager named Finney (played by Mason Thames) is kidnapped by The Grabber, a child serial killer (Ethan Hawke).
He is allowed to call the Grabber’s former victims while he is detained so they can try to help him escape.
A VERY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORY EXISTS,
Joe Hill recently revealed in a Bloody Disgusting interview that some additional components of the movie’s plot – outside of the source material – are somewhat personal for Scott Derrickson, despite the fact that The Black Phone isn’t based on a true story:
“The movie was woven together from three primary creative threads. Every scene, line of dialogue, and detail were utilised by Scott and Cargill. Even though it’s all on the screen, the movie only lasts for around 40 minutes. More was found when they needed it.
“There’s this really autobiographical story about growing up in the Midwest during the violent 1970s,” he said. The narrative draws on Scott’s early experiences and is told with a type of razor-sharp emotional focus. It provides forensically accurate time discovery.
DO YOU WANT MORE TERRIFYING SCOTT DERRICKSON?
The following is a collection of the director’s other terrifying directorial efforts if you enjoyed The Black Phone:
Inferno from Hellraiser
He directed The Day the Earth Stood Still in 2008, starring Keanu Reeves, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose Sinister: Deliver Us From Evil.
On June 24th, 2022, The Black Phone will be released in theatres.