Scott Derrickson has returned with yet another successful Hollywood horror flick. Horror has always had a special place in the world of make-believe. Be it via books, short stories, poetry, or film, the genre has incited terror at the core of the audience or reader’s psyche, and somehow, even within the saturated world of ghosts, demons, and zombies, the aspect of horror remains exciting to the creators and the masses.
Also read: Doctor Strange 2: Why Did Scott Derrickson Leave The Sequel?
Scott Derrickson has in his most recent film, The Black Phone, delivered a savory meal that has not only managed to capture every essence of a well-rounded script and screenplay but also fulfilled the audience’s appetite for something horrifying and new.
Related article: Scott Derrickson Hid His Sequel Plans In Plain Sight
Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone: Synopsis
The Ethan Hawke starrer movie has proved to be such a head-turner that the reigning prince of horror, Stephen King himself could not resist complimenting the work. This is not the first collaboration between Ethan Hawke and director, Scott Derrickson. The 2015 bone-chilling movie, Sinister, was also a product of the duo.
Also read: The Black Phone Poster Reveals Ethan Hawke As “The Grabber”
The Black Phone follows a 1970’s Denver town where local children begin disappearing. The sadistic kidnapper/killer dubbed “The Grabber” targets a 13-year-old boy, Finney Shaw, as his next victim and eventually locks him up in a soundproof basement, disconnecting him from the world and any means of escape. However, soon a disconnected phone starts ringing, and the voices on the other end, those belonging to the former victims of “The Grabber” make sure Finney doesn’t meet the same fate as theirs.
Also read: Stephen King Compares The Black Phone To One Of His Most Iconic Novels
The Journey From Doctor Strange to The Black Phone
In a recent interview with Collider, Scott Derrickson reveals what it meant for him to shift from a big-budget film like Doctor Strange with a big studio production to a much smaller, more contained one like his current project. Derrickson revealed:
“From the heart, I had an amazing experience working on Doctor Strange, but when you’re making a movie that size for Marvel, you really are working with Kevin Feige. You’re really co-making the movie with him and there’s a lot of people giving influence into the process. I felt very supported making that movie. I made the movie I wanted to make, but it’s different than when you’re talking about a smaller contained horror film because then you really function like an auteur.
It’s all on you, and Jason Blum is the greatest producer. On both Sinister and this movie, all he did was just say, ‘Whatever you need. Make the movie you want to make,’ and so it was all up to me and in both cases, I made exactly the film I wanted to make. The funny thing about it though is that Sinister was $3 million, this movie was $18 [million], Doctor Strange was over $200 million; they’re all the same! You never have enough time or money. [Laughs] You always have the same problem.”
Also read: Scott Derrickson Reveals Leaving Doctor Strange 2 Was The Hardest Decision Of His Career
The Black Phone is currently streaming in theatres globally.
Source: Collider
