The Big Picture · Discussion · Hall of Fame
June 28, 2022/ 78 min/ Sean Fennessey · Chris Ryan
Sean and Chris review the Scott Derrickson horror hit 'The Black Phone,' then build a 10-film Hall of Fame for Ethan Hawke, running his entire filmography year by year.
11 films across 2 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
'The Black Phone'Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan
Scott Derrickson's Blumhouse thriller, from a Joe Hill story: a 13-year-old is abducted by a masked killer called the Grabber and starts hearing the voices of his previous victims on a dead phone. Both hosts land around two and a half stars: a strong premise (Chris compares it to 'Dazed and Confused' as a kidnapping movie), undercut by vagueness about the rules of its world. Ethan Hawke, almost entirely masked, is the reason it works.
The Ethan Hawke Hall of Fame10, built year by year across his filmography
The film that got him the career; Todd Anderson, 'O Captain, My Captain.' First lock of the episode.
Troy Dyer. Goes in alongside 'Before Sunrise' as a defining performance of his Gen X period.
Jesse, first of three. Chris argues Jesse should count for all three 'Before' films rather than just this one.
In on the strength of the fan base and a performance Sean calls some of Hawke's best acting in his 20s, despite both hosts finding the film itself uneven.
Jake Hoyt, opposite Denzel Washington. Oscar-nominated; Hawke has said working with Washington changed him as an actor.
Jesse again. One of Sean's favorite movies ever made; the second of the three 'Before' credits toward his total.
Chosen over 'The Purge' as the Blumhouse-era entry: the reunion with Scott Derrickson that also set up 'The Black Phone.'
Jesse a third time, closing out the trilogy that counts as three separate inductions.
Oscar-nominated. Chris calls the performance among Hawke's best, particularly the later scenes of a father who's finally gotten his life together.
Reverend Ernst Toller. The last film added; both call it the performance that most defines him as an actor.
Also mentioned raised along the way
In passing ('The Black Phone' review) Dazed and ConfusedSe7enITElvisTop Gun: MaverickJurassic World Dominion
Weighed for the Hall of Fame, then cut ExplorersDadWhite FangMystery DateWaterlandA Midnight ClearAliveRich in LoveFlounderingSearch and DestroyGreat ExpectationsThe Newton BoysThe Velocity of GaryJoe the KingSnow Falling on CedarsHamletWaking LifeTapeThe Jimmy ShowTaking LivesAssault on Precinct 13Lord of WarThe Hottest StateFast Food NationBefore the Devil Knows You're DeadWhat Doesn't Kill YouChelsea on the RocksNew York, I Love YouBrooklyn's FinestStaten IslandDaybreakersThe Woman in the FifthThe PurgePredestinationCymbelineGood KillSeymour: An Introduction10,000 SaintsMaggie's PlanBorn to Be BlueRegressionIn a Valley of ViolenceThe PhenomMaudieThe Magnificent SevenValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets24 Hours to LiveJuliet, NakedBlazeStockholmAdopt a HighwayThe TruthTeslaCut Throat CityZeros and OnesThe Northman
In passing (Hall of Fame conversation) Stand By MeShineIdaCold WarShopliftersBrokerApollo 10½: A Space Age ChildhoodEmpire RecordsStraight TimeThe WaterdanceDeep WaterAvatar: The Way of WaterWaterworldThe Godfather Part IIIThis Is GWARChelsea Walls
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Stranger ThingsGood Lord BirdMoon KnightThe Last Movie StarsStation Eleven
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