The Black Phone: Review, release date, who is Mason Thames, age rating and running time
The Black Phone, will finally hit UK cinemas this month, almost a year after its original planned release – and early reviews indicate it could be one of the best horrors of the year.
Based on a short story by Joe Hill, son of ‘Master Of Horror’ author Stephen King, the new film will see Ethan Hawke take on the role of a creepy new horror villain that looks set to terrify audiences worldwide.
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Hide AdDirected by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister), the supernatural horror introduces ‘The Grabber’, a masked killer who abducts children and locks them in a soundproof room.
However, things turn otherworldly when the antagonist – played by Hawke – kidnaps his sixth victim, an intelligent 13-year-old boy named Finney Shaw.
Like the killer’s other victims, the abducted child is thrown into a secluded basement, however, when a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, the boy discovers he can hear the voices of the murderer's previous victims and they attempt to help Finney escape a similar fate.
The Black Phone Reviews
The early reviews are already in, with a worldwide cinema release ready to be launched, and critics are loving the sinister new abduction thriller.
Already ranked at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, IMdB rate it at 7.4 out of 10, while Metacritic scores it at an equally impressive 74%.
"A really terrific coming-of-age horror film with superb work by the young leads” is has already been described as by Movie Netflix, while Megan Navarro of highly respected horror review site BloodyDisgusting also gave the trio of main characters high praise, adding: “Derrickson and Cargill revive the same traits and structure of Sinister to transform Joe Hill's short into a feature-length nightmare full of ghostly kids, violence, scares, and a trio of unforgettable performances.”
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Hide AdHowever, while Jason Bailey of The Playlist gave the film a rating of B-, he said “there's much in The Black Phone to admire, but even the most patient audience may find themselves frustrated waiting for these pieces to snap into place.”
Who is Mason Thames? Who else is in the cast of The Black Phone?
Mason Thames plays Finney Shaw, the sixth child abducted by the grabber, and the child who is the focus of the movie. His performance has been praised highly alongside his onscreen sister Gwen, who is played by Madeleine McGraw.
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Hide AdThe 14-year-old child star has been given rave reviews for his performance as the abducted Finney, though he has actually been acting since 2017, where he appeared as ‘Liam’ in short movie After Omelas.
However, he is more well known for his roles on TV, starring in Evel, For All Mankind and Walker, though it appears his future will definitely be in film following the release of The Black Phone, with the teenager already confirmed to star in new movie Boys of Summer alongside Mel Gibson, which is planned for released later this year.
Elsewhere, Hollywood a-lister Ethan Hawke (Sinister) takes on the lead role of the masked child killer, The Grabber. The role sees him don several different – and incredibly disturbing – masks throughout the film, as we see him continue to torture with the young abductee in his basement.
Jeremy Davies (Justice League Dark) will play Mr. Shaw, Finney and Gwen's single alcoholic father, with James Ransone as Max. E. Roger Mitchell (The Walking Dead) also starring.
When is The Black Phone released in the UK? What is the runtime and age rating of The Black Phone?
The Black Phone will have a runtime of one hour and 42 minutes and has been rated a 15 by the BBFC.
The supernatural horror has been given a confirmed release date and will be in cinemas across the UK from June 24, though Cineworld already treated fans to a preview screening this weekend, and have screenings from as early as June 22 as selected cinemas.