Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone offers a chilling experience filled with tension, terror, and nostalgia, but if you strip away its grisly exterior, what’s left is an eerie resemblance to a beloved, though equally unnerving, animated classic: Coraline. At its core, both movies tell the story of young protagonists trapped in supernatural, life-or-death scenarios where their ingenuity is their only lifeline. But while Coraline’s world is rich with whimsical darkness and a sinister mother figure, The Black Phone takes a grittier, more realistic approach, with Ethan Hawke’s malevolent “Grabber” standing in as the haunting captor. The results? A film that feels like Coraline’s twisted sibling, built for an older, more horror-leaning audience.
The Grabber vs. The Other Mother: Nightmares in Two Forms
In both films, the antagonists play psychological games with their young prey. Coraline’s Other Mother lures her in with promises of a better life, only to reveal her sinister agenda—to keep her trapped forever. Similarly, The Black Phone’s Grabber, played with terrifying restraint by Ethan Hawke, kidnaps boys and forces them to play twisted games in an attempt to break their spirits. While Coraline’s antagonist weaves her web in a surreal, dream-like universe, The Grabber grounds his horrors in grim reality, relying on psychological manipulation, physical confinement, and eerie masks that add a monstrous edge to his presence.
But while the Other Mother is an otherworldly, almost mythic figure, the Grabber feels all too real, which amplifies the terror. Hawke’s portrayal of this masked figure combines an air of menace with a terrifyingly casual demeanor, making him a more visceral villain, though no less controlling or manipulative than Coraline’s button-eyed tormentor.
Trapped Children and Phantom Helpers
Much like Coraline, The Black Phone centers around children trapped in an environment that tests their resourcefulness and will to survive. Coraline must navigate the Other World, while The Black Phone’s protagonist, Finney, finds himself locked in a basement with nothing but a mysterious black phone to keep him company. Both children, despite their fear, uncover hidden resources to fight back: Coraline befriends ghosts of past victims, while Finney receives calls from the dead—a tragic yet hauntingly similar connection to those who fell before him. These phantom helpers serve as the guiding forces for the protagonists to escape their grim fates, with both narratives emphasizing themes of resilience and quick thinking.
Tone and Visual Style: Whimsy vs. Grit
Where Coraline revels in its gothic, fantastical aesthetic, The Black Phone is much more grounded in the gritty realism of 1970s suburban America. Coraline’s vibrant, yet darkly whimsical visuals—the button-eyed Other Mother, the circus mice, the candy-colored Other World—create a dreamlike atmosphere that contrasts sharply with The Black Phone’s bleak, muted tones and claustrophobic setting. The film’s 1970s aesthetic—complete with dingy wallpaper, rotary phones, and a palpable sense of dread—acts as a stark counterpoint to Coraline’s lush, nightmarish fantasy land.
This visual contrast plays into the deeper themes of both movies: Coraline feels like a fairy tale gone wrong, where the everyday transforms into the uncanny. The Black Phone leans more into the horrors lurking in plain sight—the threat of kidnapping, violence, and loss of childhood innocence. Still, despite the difference in setting and tone, both movies weave the same tale of a young person fighting to escape the clutches of an all-controlling villain.
A Coming-of-Age Nightmare
Both The Black Phone and Coraline present coming-of-age stories wrapped in terrifying circumstances. Coraline’s journey involves asserting her independence and learning to trust her instincts, while Finney’s is a fight for survival, laced with growing confidence in his ability to outwit his captor. In both cases, the protagonists must overcome their fears and use their wits to outmaneuver their enemies, making these films less about the supernatural elements and more about the personal growth of their characters.
But while Coraline’s story ends with a sense of empowerment and closure, The Black Phone leaves viewers with a heavier sense of the horrors endured. There’s a more unsettling atmosphere here, given that the villain is not a magical creation but a deranged man preying on vulnerable children. Still, both films drive home the idea that courage and cleverness are the ultimate keys to escape.
Conclusion: Two Sides of the Same Creepy Coin
In many ways, The Black Phone feels like Coraline for a more mature audience. Both movies explore childhood fears, control, and survival, but each approaches it through a different lens—one magical and bizarre, the other stark and horrifying. Whether it’s Coraline staring down a button-eyed monster or Finney outsmarting a masked predator, the ultimate message remains the same: in the darkest of times, it’s the smallest, most unexpected acts of bravery that can lead to freedom. So, if you ever wondered what Coraline would look like without the whimsy and with more blood-chilling horror, The Black Phone might just be the answer.