Netflix viewers are running out of time to stream a ‘truly disturbing’ horror film on the platform.
There’s a variety of films for fans seeking some pre-Halloween scares this month, but some titles are only available for a limited period.
One such title is The Black Phone, featuring Ethan Hawke in an unusual villainous role. However, film enthusiasts have a limited window to catch it before it’s taken off the service, as Netflix confirms it’s only available to watch until November 2.
In this supernatural horror, Hawke portrays a serial child murderer known as The Grabber who kidnaps a teenage lad named Finney.
While in captivity, Finney stumbles upon an old phone that enables him to connect with the killer’s past victims. The voices on the phone soon start assisting Finney in planning his escape, reports the Mirror.
The movie marks the reunion of director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill, following their joint work on the first Doctor Strange film for Marvel.
One viewer shared their thoughts on the website Rotten Tomatoes, describing the film as “truly disturbing.” Another concurred, highlighting Hawke’s performance.
They commented: “Solid horror/thriller all around. Hawke is delightful as the seedy, unhinged creep here. The kids are all fantastic and feel genuine. The concept is fresh and the movie doesn’t pull it’s punches. Top notch studio horror.”
At the movie’s initial cinema debut, a film buff took to social media to share their thoughts, noting the film’s atmosphere was reminiscent of a Stephen King piece. This connection isn’t too surprising given The Black Phone stems from a narrative penned by Joe Hill, King’s son.
The enthusiast’s critique read: “One of the best movies I’ve seen this year! You get to have ‘fun’ and horror at the same time, and not to say more but I love this kind of movie, especially because it also gives the vibes of movies Stephen King has inspired.”
A slew of movie review platforms have also heralded the flick post-release, with Nerdist dubbing Hawke’s portrayal as “nightmare fuel,” whereas Screen Rant rendered his character “terrifying”.
The Black Phone is available to stream on Netflix until November 2