
Movie review
June 16, 2022 · 103 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
A 13-year-old boy named Finney is abducted by a masked serial killer known as The Grabber and locked in a soundproof basement. He begins receiving calls on a disconnected black rotary phone from the ghosts of the killer’s previous victims, who guide him toward escape. The narrative centers on survival, childhood trauma, bullying, and sibling support in a 1978 Denver suburb. No identity politics, activist messaging, gender themes, or representation emphasis drive the story or characters.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Black Phone.
Woke representation / casting
Casting fits the 1970s story world with no forced diversity or identity signaling.
Woke political dialogue
No political or activist dialogue.
Identity-driven story themes
Story engine is pure survival horror and trauma with zero identity politics or gender messaging.
Western institutional / cultural critique
No modern activist critique of patriarchy, capitalism, or Western institutions; abusive father is individual character flaw only.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No woke complaints or backlash reported.
Creator track record context
No relevant prior work is cited.
Production