The Black Phone Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs
5. Ethan Hawke's Sublimely Creepy Performance
Though his role is ultimately disappointingly small, most everyone will agree that Ethan Hawke gives a remarkable performance as the Grabber.
Though Hawke hasn't played too many outright villain roles in his career - let alone straight-up terrifying murderers - he proves himself a sure natural at it here.
Even while spending much of his screen time hidden behind a mask, Hawke's gravelly voice and physical mannerisms lend the Grabber a skin-crawlingly unpredictable quality.
Hawke is a captivating presence every time he shows up, and though the Grabber remains an enigmatic cipher throughout basically the entire movie, he also cuts an unnerving figure in every single moment.
Hopefully this won't be the last time we see Hawke playing a horror movie villain, because he absolutely knocked the assignment out of the park.