This horror mystery came out in 2021 to mostly good reviews.
Adapted from Joe Hill‘s short story of the same name, it follows the terrifying crimes that plagued a small town.
While not based on a true story, it took inspiration from several abduction cases and real life serial killers gimmicks.
A star-studded descent into abduction
The movie stars Ethan Hawke as the main antagonist (for the first time ever), where he plays opposite James Ransone (RIP) again after The Sinister franchise.
The cast is brilliant. The children are believable (and Madeleine McGraw is wonderful in her raw display of emotions) and the situation was heard of so many times as children that it feels like a peek behind the curtain.
What happens to abducted children ?
So few of us have the answer.
The van scene was a lovely little nod to IT”s Pennywise with the balloons. I assume it was done on purpose, considering how close the Grabber and the clown act towards children, but I could be wrong here.
It’s always nice to see parallels between father and son (Stephen King‘s Pennywise with Joe Hill‘s Grabber).
The symbolism of the masks
The masks are a strong addition to his character.
Changing moods and personality depending on which ones he wears are brilliant. No human has only one emotion, so it layers the Grabber’s character to match a more human antagonist.
Yeah he’s a child murderer, but a very real-world rooted one.
Not a supernatural force. Just an asshole.
Supernatural justice
The supernatural aspect takes over fairly fast, with the psychic connection of the sister, and then later on with the ghosts. The movie navigates really well between the unbelievable setting and everyday life.
Max on his couch looking for the Grabber while doing coke vs the child fighting for his life with dead children’s ghosts in the basement. In the very same house.
It’s a horror version of Home alone meets the Ring.
You’re looking for a solution by being part of the problem there Max. And even the cops ignored him…
The black phone gives us a glimpse as to what the previous kids went through.
Be it the failed escapes or the cruel « games » the Grabber had in store for them.
The ghosts seem to be sentient enough to know his sleep schedule but not in present time as they didn’t mention the dog. Meaning he might update his techniques as he kills.
The black phone itself (as in the object) gets mainly ignored by the Grabber.
Some say it represents his guilt, and that he doesn’t want to pick up.
It could also be that he just doesn’t hear it because the children don’t want to speak to him.
They just want revenge, and they get it.
Small note : The Grabber’s mask has some facial similarities to Jeffrey Epstein’s face.
Was it a coincidence or did they try to prepare us for what was in the files ?
Because kidnapping, torturing and killing children feels a bit on the nose now.
The trauma
I didn’t mention the house dynamics where the main characters live as it shows a great deal of depth towards trauma. How to deal with it, accept it and overcome it.
Their dad is an asshole. There is no denying it.
Having been a fan of Lost for years, it broke me to see Jeremy Davies play such a role.
Again, Madeleine’s performance while standing up for herself was amazing to witness.
Our main character went through a lot. A shitty home life, bullies, and an actual serial killer.
Overall the movie is good, the acting is solid and the Grabber is believable.
For a first time villain, Ethan Hawke killed it (pun intended).
My rating : 3,5/5 bats.
🦇🦇🦇🎭🎭
(Picture a half-eaten bat here, the emojis won’t let me do it)