Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone Is His Only Film He's Not Sick Of Yet

The Black Phone is the only one of Scott Derrickson’s films that he is not tired of watching yet. Derrickson’s new horror is set in 1978 and stars Ethan Hawke as a child serial killer called “The Grabber.” When one of the Grabber's young captives, Finney, starts receiving phone calls from the ghosts of the killer's past victims, The Grabber competes with Finney in a battle of wits as the youngster fights to outsmart him and save his own life, while The Grabber continues his nefarious torture. The Black Phone is based on the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. 

This latest horror feature from Blumhouse is far from Derrickson’s first venture into the horror genre. The director’s first feature film was The Exorcism of Emily Rose back in 2005. He also produced and directed Sinister in 2012 (which also stars Hawke), as well as Deliver Us From Evil in 2014. In 2016, Derrickson gained even more recognition when he directed the MCU solo film Doctor Strange, and later served as a producer on more major projects such as its sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the acclaimed Snowpiercer TV series adaptation. Now, however, Derrickson returns to horror with The Black Phone. 

Unlike his past work, Derrickson says The Black Phone is the one film that he is not sick of re-watching. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, he cited The Black Phone as his “favorite of the films” that he has made. See the director's comments below:

Exclusive: "It's my favorite of the films I've made, I think. It's certainly the only film I've ever made that I haven't gotten sick of watching at this point.” 

Given Derrickson’s high-caliber film credits, self-citing The Black Phone as his best and "favorite" is saying a lot. With beloved horror films like Sinister, an MCU blockbuster like Doctor Strange, and a sci-fi classic like The Day the Earth Stood Still in his filmography, Derrickson has a solid library of work to choose from when citing his best films. What's more, Derrickson's confidence in The Black Phone certainly means a lot coming from a director and producer who is well-versed in the horror genre.

As The Black Phone reviews and reactions roll in, Hawke's performance as its terrifying villain is at the center of most of its praise. Now that the horror flick is out in theaters, however, it will be interesting to see whether Derrickson’s own love of his latest project aligns with the views of wider audiences. With such a complex and abhorrent figure at its center, only time will tell whether the public finds The Black Phone quite as re-watchable as Derrickson does.