Black Phone, The (2022)

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Synopsis

Dir: Scott Derrickson. Horror. Based on the short story by Joe Hill. After getting kidnapped by a serial child-killer (Ethan Hawke) in 1978 Denver, a teenager (Mason Thames) held captive communicates with the spirits of previous victims via a phone in the basement.

Content elements

• Frequent use of the sexual expletive and variations in a non-sexual context; Frequent use of scatological slang, profanity, vulgar expressions, and homophobic and developmental slurs
• Frequent portrayals of weapon and hand-to-hand violence, some in a horror context - some blood and brutal detail
• Frequent portrayals of frightening scenes and paranormal phenomena - some blood and detail
• Infrequent portrayals of alcohol and drug use in a recreational context

Thematic elements

• Survival
• Family dynamics and trauma
• Power and control

Classification rationale

Rated 14A for coarse language and brutal violence in a genre context

Classification date