10 MORE Horror Movies Where The Monster Isn't The Villain
5. The Black Phone
From the mind of Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, The Black Phone follows Finney, a young boy who's imprisoned in a soundproof basement by a psychopath known as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke).
Though the basement contains a rotary dial phone, it's been broken for some time. That's why Finney is scared out of his mind when the disconnected phone starts ringing. When he answers, he's even more bewildered to learn the caller is one of the Grabber's deceased victims. Over time, Finney realises the phone works as a conduit to the spirit world, allowing him to converse with anyone the Grabber murdered.
The ghosts tell Finney what failed strategies they used to try and escape, so he doesn't waste time making the same mistakes. When the Grabber seemingly forgets to lock the basement, Finney believes he can make a break for it. However, the dead boys explain how the Grabber is playing mind games, as he pulled the same trick on them.
Since supernatural entities are often associated with evil, it's nice to see them being a force of good for a change. Not only do these spectres harbour no ill will, they're the only things keeping Finney alive.