The Black Phone is a chilling supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, based on a short story by Joe Hill. Set in the 1970s, the film follows a young boy named Finney Shaw (played by Mason Thames), who is abducted by a sadistic and mysterious killer known as “The Grabber” (Ethan Hawke). The Grabber, who has been terrorizing the town by kidnapping children, traps Finney in a soundproof basement with no way out. However, the basement has a strange, supernatural element: a black phone that doesn’t seem to work, but which begins to ring, connecting Finney to the voices of the Grabber’s past victims.

Throughout the film, Finney is not just fighting for his physical survival, but also dealing with the trauma and fear of being locked in an inescapable situation. The black phone becomes his only lifeline, as the spirits of the other children who were killed by the Grabber try to communicate with him, offering advice, warnings, and clues about how to escape. These ghostly interactions bring a sense of hope and guidance, but also a growing tension, as Finney realizes that his captor is watching him closely, and he must outsmart him in order to survive.

Parallel to Finney’s struggle, the film also focuses on his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who has psychic abilities and begins to have disturbing visions about her brother’s whereabouts. Gwen, though deeply affected by the loss of her mother and the abuse she suffers at home, refuses to give up on finding Finney. Her psychic visions lead her to uncover key details about the Grabber’s identity and his pattern of abducting children, which helps to build the narrative toward an eventual confrontation.

As the story progresses, Finney’s determination and the guidance from the spirits on the other side of the black phone give him the strength to fight back against his captor. The tension peaks in a gripping final sequence where Finney faces the Grabber head-on, using his newfound courage, resourcefulness, and the lessons learned from the spirits to escape.