The Black Phone Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

1. The Sister Subplot Is A Mixed Bag

The central kidnapping story is so potential-rich that it's almost a shame we routinely cut back to a subplot involving Finney's sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

Though Madeleine McGraw gives a terrific performance in the film, her supernaturally infused storyline - whereby she experiences dreams of the Grabber's victims - ultimately feels rather half-baked and tacked on.

It smacks of Derrickson and Cargill needing something for Gwen to do once her brother is kidnapped, and yet much of this subplot ends up feeling like unnecessary dead weight.

A horror film more intently focused on the claustrophobia of Finney's imprisonment probably would've worked better, as every time we cut to Gwen's attempts to track him down, the narrative hits a major lull of interest.

If you can accept these issues, though, there's a decent horror flick to enjoy here. And so, this is what The Black Phone gets right...