Is The Black Phone gory?

Somewhat — The Black Phone rates 2/5 on The Horror Database's gore scale: some blood, not an endurance test.

Does The Black Phone rely on jump scares?

Not really — The Black Phone leans slow-burn (30/100 on THDB's slow-burn↔jump-scare spectrum); the fear builds as dread rather than shocks.

Will The Black Phone stay with you after watching?

Some of it — The Black Phone rates 3/5 on lingering effect; it follows you to bed but lets go within a day or so.

Who is The Black Phone for?

The Black Phone is scary without being punishing (55/100 on THDB's fun-scary↔disturbing spectrum) at 3/5 intensity.

BrowseAI · unconfirmed

The Black Phone(2022)

Name: The Black Phone
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Released: 2022
Duration: 103 min

2022 · Scott Derrickson · 103 min

Finney Blake, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

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Horror · Thriller

7.56k votes

TMDB score

3/5

Intensity

2/5

Gore

3/5

Stays with you

How The Black Phone scares

There's a tight, closed-in dread to this one, like the walls are always a little too close and time is running out. Most of the fear comes from feeling trapped and outmatched, with a kid's fear of a grown adult who holds all the power, rather than constant blood or jump scares. A ghostly element creeps in and actually gives some hope and connection instead of just more scares, which makes the mood swing between hopeless and oddly warm. It's tense and sad in places more than gross, and it hits hardest through helplessness rather than shock.

Intensity over runtime

Shape only — no events

Reveal pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.

Starts grounded and uneasy, then settles into a tense back-and-forth between quiet dread and sudden jolts that keeps ratcheting up toward a hard-charging finish.

How scary is The Black Phone?

On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Black Phone rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.

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