Schoolyard bullies, abusive parents and abduction are some perennial kid fears that make good fodder for horror films. In the movie, based on a short story by Joe Hill (son of Stephen and Tabitha King, both novelists who delve into the hidden horrors of small rural towns), the two protagonists deal with all three including "the Grabber," who lurks in the shadows, a serial kidnapper of kids whose victims have yet to be found, who masquerades as a magician with black balloons. For Finney (Mason Thames) and his psychic younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), he is a real but somewhat mysterious threat, until one day, Mason is abducted.
We then learn the Grabber is Ethan Hawke, a soft-spoken, often petulant man who always obscures his face with an elaborate clown/animal mask or makeup. (Apparently, Ethan took a cue from Kathy Bates in "Misery," as refraining from raising one's voice to one's captive ward can be equally scary as full-fledged rage.) He insists he does not want to hurt Mason, but since there's nothing in the basement where he imprisons him but a cot and a toilet, he is not too convincing. Oddly, there is also a phone, which is supposedly disconnected, but keeps ringing sporadically. When Mason answers it, it turns out to be the former victims, all of whom offer advice on how to escape. (Oh, and there may be someone upstairs who might help if he can get his act together.)
Meanwhile Gwen requests help from God and has visions that may be clues. Luckily, the police take her seriously, although her father (Jeremy Davies) punishes her, fearing that she may become mentally ill like her deceased mother. It does all end (spoiler alert) with both siblings intact and the possibility that Jeremy may soften his parenting techniques a trifle. Still, it's quite a ride for the viewer: a Halloween scary treat for midsummer.
We then learn the Grabber is Ethan Hawke, a soft-spoken, often petulant man who always obscures his face with an elaborate clown/animal mask or makeup. (Apparently, Ethan took a cue from Kathy Bates in "Misery," as refraining from raising one's voice to one's captive ward can be equally scary as full-fledged rage.) He insists he does not want to hurt Mason, but since there's nothing in the basement where he imprisons him but a cot and a toilet, he is not too convincing. Oddly, there is also a phone, which is supposedly disconnected, but keeps ringing sporadically. When Mason answers it, it turns out to be the former victims, all of whom offer advice on how to escape. (Oh, and there may be someone upstairs who might help if he can get his act together.)
Meanwhile Gwen requests help from God and has visions that may be clues. Luckily, the police take her seriously, although her father (Jeremy Davies) punishes her, fearing that she may become mentally ill like her deceased mother. It does all end (spoiler alert) with both siblings intact and the possibility that Jeremy may soften his parenting techniques a trifle. Still, it's quite a ride for the viewer: a Halloween scary treat for midsummer.
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