The Black Phone
Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 24, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
12
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
NMEPaul BradshawJul 15, 2022
Fortunately, Hawke is fantastic. Over-acting like his life depends on it, his mad kabuki mugging somehow works perfectly. Read full review
60
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeJun 27, 2022
A solid, spooky period chiller. Read full review
60
Screen RantBen KendrickJun 24, 2022
The result is a beautifully shot and well-acted live-action short story, but one that's missing enough connective tissue, fresh ideas, and time spent between its characters to produce a lasting feature film experience. Read full review
60
Time OutDan JolinJun 23, 2022
The narrative is unadventurously straightforward, and anyone looking for any neat twists or wrinkles will be disappointed; the spectral nature of Finney’s allies could have made for a neat final-act reveal. But the performances are uniformly strong, with McGraw stealing scenes and Hawke exercising his dark side so effectively that, after this and Moon Knight, he’ll leave you in no doubt of his flair for villainy. Read full review
60
TheWrapSimon AbramsJun 20, 2022
Derrickson and Cargill successfully tailor their focused and mostly compelling narrative to a Steven Spielberg/Amblin Entertainment–esque bit of Stephen King–sploitation. Read full review
60
VarietyOwen GleibermanJun 20, 2022
It’s a horror ride that holds you, and it should have no trouble carving out an audience, but I didn’t find it particularly scary. Read full review
58
ConsequenceClint WorthingtonJun 23, 2022
The performances are strong, and the film excels in isolated setpieces. It’s just a shame to see a neat idea largely go to waste. Read full review
50
Rolling StoneA.A. DowdJun 23, 2022
The movie often plays like another Stranger Things dilution, watering down the paperback thrills of literature’s reigning master of horror into an inferior throwback substitution. Read full review
50
ColliderAlyse WaxJun 23, 2022
There are very few classic hallmarks of horror films in The Black Phone. They arrive in the third act, but before that, it is a lot of… nothing. Talking. No cat-and-mouse chasing. No killing. Not even any suspense. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonJun 22, 2022
Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are adept enough at setting up rich, evocative horror concepts, but they don’t always know what to do with them once they’re in place. Read full review
50
The Film StageJohn FinkJun 21, 2022
Perhaps The Black Phone should have pushed its premise a bit more, building real stakes and real thrills in a deeper analysis of its archetypes. If performances by Thames, McGraw, and Hawke are strong, there could stand to be a few more twists and a bit more character development to transcend what is a middle-of-the-road psychological thriller. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubTodd GilchristJun 20, 2022
Answer the call of The Black Phone if you dare. Just be aware that, much like the severed cord dangling underneath the device, there’s a crucial disconnect between the provocative ideas that it sets up, and what it ultimately delivers. Read full review
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