The 2021 horror movieThe Black Phonehas a mesmerizing villain in Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber and strong performances from Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw as siblings Finney and Gwen Blake. It also has an incredible, haunting, and satisfying ending that fits the story perfectly. When the movie opens, The Grabber has been kidnapping children in Denver, Colorado. And Finney and Gwen are equally terrified and fascinated by the real-life horror in front of them.
The Black Phonewas well-received by horror fans and critics. The combination of an effective, memorable villain and children who are in dire situations makes it an emotional journey that stands out among other horror movies. What happens at the end ofThe Black Phoneand what short story is the popular movie based on?
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What Happens In The Black Phone?
Thechild actors inThe Black Phoneare amazing, and they carry a sad and scary story. As Finney and Gwen live with their father Terrence Blake (Jeremy Davies) who is having trouble coping with the death of his wife and abusing his children, they become fascinated by The Grabber.
One of themost mysterious horror movie villains, The Grabber chats with a kid in the neighborhood, kidnaps them, and keeps them in his basement before killing them. When Finney is abducted, he realizes that he can talk to the ghosts of the villain’s previous victims through an old phone on the wall.
The Black Phonemay have this supernatural element, but it’s primarily about the power of family. Gwen’s love for her brother Finney powers her through and motivates her to find him. At moments,The Black Phoneis tough to watch. Terrence is in so much pain and has no idea how to raise his kids without his wife, and his children are terrified of him and just trying to get through each day. The added complexity and terror of knowing that there’s a serial killer in their neighborhood is almost too much for Gwen and Finney to cope with.
How Does The Black Phone End And Does Finney Escape The Grabber?
InThe Black Phoneending, Gwen sees where Finney is and tells the police where to go. She has been having visions related to The Grabber throughout the movie, which upsets her father since her mother did as well. Gwen stays strong, however, and she’s one of thebest horror movie main charactersbecause she does what feels right to her.
When The Grabber tries to hurt Finney, Finney attacks him. The spirits of his previous victims make fun of The Grabber and Finney kills The Grabber with the cord of the phone. This is a brutal moment that brings the story full circle and makes the movie’s title feel even more powerful.
Gwen and Finney are happy to be together again. The siblings experience a moving moment with their father, who says that he is sorry and that he will be a better parent.The Black Phoneends with Finney in school chatting with the girl he likes. It’s asatisfying horror movie endingthat ties up every loose end and is also incredibly emotional. After what he has been through, Finney definitely deserves a happy ending, and it’s great to see him finding more confidence.
The Black Phoneending is all about the strength that Finney and Gwen have inside of them despite some terrible luck and awful life circumstances. Even though they can’t change the situations that they have found themselves in, they have maintained a tough and hopeful attitude despite all evidence otherwise. While it’s fun seeingEthan Hawke playThe Black Phonevillain, it’s the kid characters who bring feeling, layers and complexity to the story.
What Is The Black Phone Based On?
The Black Phoneis a horror movie based on a short story of the same name by Joe Hill. There are some differences between the short story and movie, but one stands out the most. In the short story, The Grabber is a clown named Al. This change makes a lot of sense. WhileThe Grabber is an imperfect villain, he is more effective than someone with such a regular name since The Grabber is an attention-getting and terrifying moniker.
In the story, Al says “I’m a part-time clown.” In the movie, he says “I’m a part-time magician.” In aninterview with Slash Film, Joe Hill said, “Flash forward to now, and [director Scott Derrickson] and Cargill were talking about making the film, and one of the things we all talked about was what are we going to do about this aspect of it? Because ‘It Chapter One’ just came out, and America has only so much space in its heart for evil clowns. And so we hit upon him being a part-time magician instead.”
