Movies - TV
Stephen King Saw The Black Phone And Called It 'Stand By Me in Hell'
By VALERIE ETTENHOFER
The horror film “The Black Phone” follows a kidnapped young boy (Mason Thames) as he attempts to escape his captor, The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), with the ghostly aid of The Grabber's past victims. As moments of horror and triumph unfold, the movie follows traditional coming-of-age story beats.
The film is based on a story by author Joe Hill, son of the modern horror master, Stephen King. After Hill showed his father the movie, King commented, “It’s ‘Stand By Me’ in hell,” as the film explores the bonds forged by difficult situations and troubled home lives.
King's assertion that "The Black Phone" is like a hellish take on "Stand By Me" isn't that far off. Director Scott Derrickson acknowledges that "The Black Phone" is definitely a horror film, but it's also a coming-of-age film based around "childhood trauma and the resilience of children."