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The Black Phone poster

Is The Black Phone OK for Kids?

HorrorThriller
15+
R⭐ 6.9 / 102021 · 1h 43m
Scott Derrickson

Where to Watch

United States

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Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
1
Action & Peril
2
Injuries & Death Shown
9
Graphic & Disturbing
  • The Grabber threatens to 'snap Finney's neck' and casually discusses having killed previous child victims while holding him captive.
  • The Grabber describes beating victims with a belt until they pass out, and later threatens to gut Finney and strangle him with his own intestines.
  • Finney packs a disconnected phone receiver with dirt and practices swinging it as a weapon, then uses it to kill The Grabber in the final confrontation, whose neck is shown snapping during the struggle.
  • A school fight between Moose and Robin Arellano includes punching and visible blood; Max, The Grabber's brother, is killed by The Grabber; a dog (Samson) fights the killer and a bone is heard cracking.
  • Overall tone is grim and threatening throughout, escalating from schoolyard violence to a graphic life-or-death struggle in the final act.
💬Language
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
14
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
74
Strong
(sh*t)
0
Extreme
(f**k)
  • Strong profanity is frequent: 'f**k/f**king' (47 times), 's**t' (18 times), and 'da**/godda**' (8 times), plus a single use of 'cocksucker.'
  • Moderate language includes 'hell' (5), 'a**' (6), 'd**k' (2), and 'c**t' (1), with a single use of 'p**s.'
  • No creative euphemisms are noted — the profanity is direct and repeated throughout the script, making this unsuitable for young children.
👻Scary Scenes
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mildly Tense
1
Startling Moments
4
Genuinely Scary
4
Deeply Disturbing
  • Finney is abducted off the street by The Grabber in a van marked with black balloons, then wakes in a dark, soundproofed basement — a deeply frightening sequence for younger viewers.
  • A disconnected black phone rings mysteriously, letting dead victims like Bruce speak to Finney, and Vance Hopper's aggressive call from beyond death adds to the unsettling supernatural dread.
  • Gwen's father beats her with a belt after police question her about her psychic dreams, an emotionally disturbing scene of real-world domestic abuse rather than supernatural horror.
  • The Grabber himself is a masked, unpredictable villain who waits in a chair with a belt for Finney to attempt escape, and the discovery of five buried bodies in the basement is a grim, disturbing reveal.
  • The climax — a police raid combined with a dog attack and Finney's violent escape — resolves the horror but is intense and prolonged rather than a quick jump scare.
💕Romance
Very Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Crushes & Holding Hands
0
Kissing & Dating
0
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • A girl tells Finney she'll save him a seat at lunch, a brief and innocent gesture of interest.
  • Gwen mentions having a crush on Danny Bonaduce from The Partridge Family, a lighthearted childhood crush reference.
  • There is no dating, kissing, or sexual content of any kind in the script.
🍺Substances
Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Mentioned in Passing
1
Shown Casually
0
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • Terrence, the children's father, drinks vodka and breaks an 'eight-dollar bottle of vodka' in a moment tied to his anger and drinking, not glorified.
  • Passing references are made to watching 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' at the drive-in and to the film 'Enter the Dragon,' both mentioned rather than shown as substance use.
  • There is no drug use and alcohol appears only briefly and negatively, connected to a parent's temper.
⚡Stimulation
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
1
Exciting
2
Intense
1
Overwhelming
  • The film opens with an exciting, energetic baseball game with cheering and competitive action.
  • A school fight scene between Moose and Robin escalates with a chanting crowd, building tension quickly.
  • Multiple scenes of Finney trapped and threatened in the basement create sustained, claustrophobic intensity.
  • The final confrontation is overwhelming, combining a police raid, a dog attack, and the killing of The Grabber in rapid succession — likely too much for sensory-sensitive or younger viewers.
The Black Phone — Heads Up for Parents

Despite being marketed as a stylish horror-thriller, the film includes a scene of straightforward real-world domestic abuse — Gwen's father beats her with a belt after a police visit — which may be more upsetting to some parents than the supernatural horror elements.

About The Black Phone

Set in 1978, 'The Black Phone' follows 13-year-old Finney who is abducted by a masked serial killer known as 'The Grabber' and held in a soundproofed basement, where a disconnected phone lets him hear the voices of the killer's previous young victims guiding him toward escape. Meanwhile his psychic younger sister Gwen has nightmares that may help police find him. It's a tense horror-thriller dealing with child abduction, domestic abuse, and supernatural elements, ending in a violent confrontation.

⚠️
Watch with your child
The combination of graphic violence (Finney killing The Grabber with a dirt-packed phone receiver, the killer's neck snapping), heavy strong language (74 strong-level instances), and disturbing themes like child abduction and on-screen domestic abuse make this appropriate only for older teens 15+ with a parent present to discuss the heavier themes.

Family Takeaways from The Black Phone

What it gets right

  • ✓Robin's phone-call mentorship of Finney shows how a good friend's encouragement and practical advice can empower someone facing danger.
  • ✓Gwen's insistence on being believed, even after being punished for her dreams, models standing firm in the truth despite adult disbelief.

The Black Phone Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes
●Traditional family values

The story emphasizes sibling loyalty and protection, particularly Finney and Gwen's relationship and Robin's mentorship of Finney, alongside a father-daughter storyline addressing trauma and eventual remorse when Terrence apologizes to his children.

Cast:Mason ThamesMadeleine McGrawEthan HawkeJeremy DaviesE. Roger Mitchell

Is The Black Phone Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✗Age 13: Not recommended for 13-year-olds
✓Age 15: Generally appropriate for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about The Black Phone

  • Is The Black Phone appropriate for a 15-year-old?
  • Does The Black Phone have violence?
  • Is The Black Phone OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for The Black Phone?

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