The Black String (2018) User Reviews

Wow, creepy!!

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 14 November 2019]

Hail to producer, writer, director Brian Hanson for 'The Black String'! Wow, this was much creepier than anticipated. The film plays like a nightmare. It is weird at times, but effectively so. The make-up is very good as well s the visuals and practical effects.

Frankie Muniz is incredibly good as Jonathan. He completely sold the story - and his dilemma - to me, and I believed his agony and horror. This is a uniquely different horror film. Some scenes are grotesque, while others are simply nail biting suspense.

Too slow.

[Draysan-Jennings · 4/10 · 24 September 2019]

Wasn't too bad. Well not bad enough for me to turn it off. I actually finished this film. I almost turned it off until I realized thankfully I only had a few minutes to go. Was pretty boring. If Frankie Nunez wasn't in this film I wouldn't of watched it. He did a pretty good job.

Attached

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 31 October 2019]

There are horror movies where you really have to suspend your disbelief - way more than with others that is. Especially I reckon for fans of Muniz, who know him from something completely different. Sometimes it is quite tough to imagine a certain person as something else.

Also I reckon because of that or generally will not buy into the character he's portraying. But if you can overcome all these obstacles, there is some "fun" to be had. There is enough tension and there is ambiguity and enough horror plus thrill to keep this going til the end ...

Let people into your life

[begob · 7/10 · 10 September 2021]

After hooking up with a random woman, a guy in a dead end job finds his life falling into a weird and menacing decline ...

Vivid tale of psychosis that flashes back and forth between the occult and the mundane. The pace and energy are right up there, helped by sophisticated editing and well judged music, as the upbeat opening descends into frantic flight. The lead performance is good, with that anxious little face delivering some real aggression.

As a straight look inside a mental breakdown, this is very good, and the confrontations with concerned outsiders brings home the ashamed escape from uncomfortable truths that addicts suffer. There's also a clever dig at self-help books, where the original life affirming recommendations are reversed in a survival guide to witchcraft.

The story does take it further than distorted realism, into gothic horror, with a distinct vibe of Lynch about the mysterious characters who circle the hero in his desperate paranoia. But these figures remain on the surface of his delusion and don't really stand for anything in his own life, and so it remains an old-fashioned story with no feedback from the mysterious other side. There is some corroboration of an alternate reality, but in the end it's a clumsy balance. For a more skillful walk along that separating line in madness, check out Unsane by Steven Soderbergh from the same year.

Overall: Well produced terminal journey into madness.

Not the return from Muniz that I was hoping to see

[jtindahouse · 4/10 · 16 September 2019]

I was huge fan of 'Malcolm in the Middle' back in the day. I maintain it is one of the best television shows made in the last 20 years. I had seen very little of Frankie Muniz since then though so when I spotted a mystery/horror/thriler with his name on the header I couldn't resist checking it out. To be honest I kind of wish I hadn't. It wasn't great at all.

The first thing that blew me away was that Muniz hasn't aged a day. In fact if they filmed another season of 'Malcolm in the Middle' I'm pretty sure they could get away with picking up where they left off with him as an 18 year old. His acting style was always more suited to comedy though. In a more serious movie his line presentation isn't always as convincing as you'd like it to be.

The biggest crime 'The Black String' commits though is that it's boring. Even though there's enough going on, I was never invested in any of the characters to actually care. The film makes zero effort to introduce the characters and try to make them likeable. Add in some very poorly written and cliche-riddled dialogue and you have yourself a bit of tough watch of a film. Not one I'd recommend.

Muniz Delivers Solid Horror/Thriller Flick

[dw4yn3 · 9/10 · 15 September 2019]

For some reason the reviews on here are trending negative. This is a paranoia-fuelled nerd ride to hell as the main character is in a dead end job bored to death with his best friend telling him he needs to get laid. One night he gets high and the TV tells him to phone a number to meet some mystery girl. He does. Chaos ensues. Evil abounds. Bad ending for my dude. It's a solid movie. It doesn't try to be huge. It is what it is. I rate it fully. Peace.

Why isn't Oded listed?

[raven_guest · 6/10 · 14 September 2023]

Oded Fehr is in this movie, but isn't listed anywhere or on anything! Why? X.

The film itself is an interesting idea, but there are large chunks that could have been cut and it would have made NO difference to the film. Some of the effects were very good, but some were awful. I really enjoyed the imagery of the 'visions/hallucinations' and wanted more from that and the mythos behind it. It can be quite gory in places, so if that's not your thing, this might not be the film for you.

It's an interesting horror movie with elements of different genres, but it isn't going to change the world or cinema any time soon.

Rather oppressive and Pointless.

[terrazygotes-30881 · 3/10 · 26 October 2019]

It started out alright with normal people in normal circumstances and after that, just went totally "wacko", with really no rhyme nor reason. It basically went round and round in circles until it finished at a dead end. I found it a very unsatisfying watch, with very little sense to the plot. The acting was alright, the photography etc. was professionally done, but the plot was non-sensical. A downer, with no real point. Um . . . don't have sex with girls from "1-900" numbers ? Sex is evil ?

Impressive.

[mulcahyj-07545 · 6/10 · 7 June 2020]

Muniz is excellent in his role with his portrayal of desperation as all his roads to get away are seemingly closed but keeps you unknowing if his running away from what he perceives is real or in his head. You learn early on, so no spoiler, that he had issues in high school. But these are not explained and may not have been issues at all. No one close to him seems trustworthy to me or maybe I was thinking wrongly too. The utter desperation he feels make this quite an emotional wrenching film. This is classed as a horror film. It was for me. Yes it took me by surprise. Muniz coming from a sitcom I have never watched still seemed to be tagged by it before watching. That was kicked away very quickly. I am not sure if his required use of a bicycle at times was slapping you in the face for having pre restrictions of what you thought a child actor could achieve in later life and calling you an idiot. If it was they did it very well and I felt a bit of guilt for thinking this was a film I would turn off after ten minutes. But I digress. The film itself was very unnerving and disturbing for me. Some of the editing from scene to scene at times seemed abrupt. It could have been that was the intention. But it didn't sit well with me at times. Overall the story was kind of take or leave it. You watched it and raised more questions than answers. When a film does this badly it is awful. This did it quite well. Made me think s lot. If you want a mindless slasher movie look elsewhere. It's not for you. Keep walking. Nothing to see here. Anyone who wants a film that surprises you how good it is and leaves you wondering whether you liked it or not this is ideal. 6/10. Maybe a 7/10 but I had some issues with the editing.

Wow! Frankie proves he has the right stuff!

[dainamariebradley · 5/10 · 2 May 2021]

This could have been a real B-dud, but a good script, a capable director and crew with talented, believable actors really pulled it off! With minimal sets, props or special effects, this is a truly suspenseful thriller from beginning to end. Frankie delivers a solid, sympathetic persona as Jonathan, dragging the audience with him as he desperately fights to find solutions to increasingly insurmountable circumstances. We are completely drawn into this story as it unfolds. I had low expectations to start, having been disappointed many times with other "thrillers," but was very pleasantly surprised by this edge-of-your-seat thriller. I really hope we'll see much more of Frankie Munizin future films, because he's really exhibited his award-winning talent here. I was rooting for Jonathan all the way, from beginning to the very end. Not a typical horror movie, thank goodness, although not a good choice for young children. I found it quite entertaining and worth my time. Grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy!

Good effort

[robmilnerfhm-63116 · 7/10 · 23 January 2022]

Frankie Muniz did well with this. Its a classic tale where you wonder if the main guy is crazy of not.... But it's an interesting take and it entertained me.

Very Impressive Film

[mclaff9 · 8/10 · 29 September 2019]

The Black String It was not just one of the best independent films I've seen, but a very well done film of any kind.

Congratulations to producer-director-writer Brian Hanson and producer-writer-actor Richard Handley for their very impressive film

Frankie Muniz (Agent Cody Banks, Malcolm in the Middle) gave an excellent performance in the lead role. Chelsea Edmundson and Mary K DeVault were also very good in two of the larger supporting roles.

Well worth watching surprisingly

[marksc123 · 7/10 · 27 July 2020]

This film sounds so unoriginal if you try and describe it to someone but in actual fact it has a lot of original aspects to it.

The big question of what is reality and what isn't remains unanswered until the very end which gives nice closure to the storyline.

Muniz was fantastic in his portrayal and because this isn't a blockbuster film sadly his excellent performance will go unnoticed but hopefully this will open some new avenues for him as an adult actor.

I've given the film a 7 but in all honesty it's probably a solid 6. I've given it a 7 to try and counter all of the low ratings from people. As someone who appreciates the art Muniz performance alone would be enough to earn a 4, combine this with a reasonably well written horror mystery and you've got a solid movie.

Makes you cringe kinda movie

[backup-50362 · 1/10 · 4 August 2022]

Okay, first off, I'm sick of Frankie Muniz always playing a pushover beta. I like him, I wish he got to play a masculine role for f---ing once. I didn't know I was gonna watch adult Malcolm in The Middle struggle to communicate with anyone.

Second of all, this is the most bland, aimless, cringiest "horror" you can find. A stereotypical lonely "loser" gets a magical hippie voodoo STD from having sex with a strange "beautiful" female.

She's of course not "beautiful" by the way, we all know a movie presenting a female as "beautiful" actually means she's a beta male's stereotype of a "cool girl" - unattractive, smokes, isn't fun, mumbles a lot, dominates the guy, overly-sexualized to the point of cringe.

So Frankie gets this STD and a whooooole lot of hours (well, actually one and a half, but it feels like many hours) of nothing happens. Nothing really makes too much sense, it's just interconnected with prior scenes and characters enough as to give the illusion of "big brain open-ended horror movie".

Absolute garbage. And you just gotta love when an already bad movie decides to end badly - absolutely no reward for wasting your time and watching it.

Unbelievable from the start

[monkeysavant · 2/10 · 5 February 2020]

Dude would not be able to afford rent in downtown L.A. working as a convenient store clerk. Let's get real. Right at the onset of this movie, you lost me because of this. The movie made no sense. What was the point?

Interesting but Unsatisfying

[nichcarriker · 4/10 · 17 April 2020]

Although Frankie Muniz does a job given his performance, The Black String suffers immensely from Its bad writing, poor pacing, and uneven plot holes. I certainly don't hate the film, but Its far-to-often cheesiness and unsatisfactory ending all add up to a fairly disappointing movie.

Not terrible....

[elhonig-902-129896 · 6/10 · 31 December 2021]

The Black String is basically a horror movie about a socially awkward guy who meets a hot looking girl through a 900 number, and after this encounter his life gets very dark. It's also a movie about a descent into a sort of paranoid schizophrenia, with delusions of persecution, hallucinations, etc. Take your pick - horror film or mental illness. It wasn't a great movie, but interesting because of this split. You decide as you watch.

waste of time

[enkhturd-30891 · 2/10 · 19 September 2021]

Waste of time, waste of time, waste of time. Was pretty bad.

Better than expected.

[midnightmosesuk · 6/10 · 23 October 2023]

You know the deal with Amazon Prime Video, let's say that the quality of the films on offer aren't exactly going to set the world on fire. When I watch something on this platform I often find myself wondering "why the hell am I watching this crap?" But every now and then Amazon Prime throws up a decent movie and The Black String is one of those rare occasions.

The main protagonist is a lonely, sex-starved liquor store clerk. He has little in his life except his drawing and his job. One night, in desperation, he calls a "sexy singles in your area" hotline and, as luck would have it, hits the jackpot by going out on a date with an actual sexy single (and she IS sexy.) His luck continues when he actually gets to have sex with the sexy single, to him it's nigh on miraculous.

His luck runs out however when he wakes up to find her gone, leaving him with a very nasty rash. An STD? That quickly? Believe me when I say, he's going to wish it was an STD before the end of this film.....

The Black String is one of those ambiguous films where the protagonist is either the genuine victim of a conspiracy or simply as mad as a lorry. It doesn't make it easy on the viewer as every event could be interpreted either one way or the other. Even with the very downbeat ending it can be interpreted either way and, incidentally, the ending is very downbeat indeed.

It's actually not a bad film. It kept me entertained, the story was good, the acting decent and it held my attention throughout. There was very little gore, except for right at the end, but it wasn't gratuitous in any way. So, it's well worth a look.

Not much to see

[etiennededurocher · 2/10 · 28 December 2021]

Every scenes ive watch were totaly soul less, flavorless, I had to stop it after 20 min. Its the type of movie that makes you realize that there are way too much movies being prouced every year.

2/10 because I guess the team worked hard.

Enjoyable psychological horror film

[ezrawaller · 8/10 · 14 December 2019]

I love movies that keep you guessing between possible narratives, and The Black String delivered without being overwrought or pretentious. Just fun characters, a well-paced story and a great balance of scares, suspense, and a few laughs.

There are no deep dives into character backgrounds, but it's not necessary. Everyone is likable or spooky enough to keep the plot moving. Muniz is a sympathetic protagonist, and you are pretty quickly sucked into his world. A few little hints at past events are adequate to add some depth. The bad guys are sufficiently menacing and the clerk buddy is good comic relief.

This film is a welcome respite from horror films that are trying too hard to win gold medals for suspense, gore, zeitgeist or twists. It's a worthy entry in the genre that the writers and director can be proud of and fans will enjoy.

More Drama than Horror, but Decent Plot I Suppose

[papreppergal · 7/10 · 17 May 2021]

(What happened?? 2nd time writing this)

For being classified as a horror film, I'd be giving this a low score. There's very few scary anything in it, but as a sci-fi drama, it works.

You're not going to feel scared at all but you will constantly be wondering if this man's schizophrenic or if what's happening to him is real. The main character even questions this stance himself throughout the film.

Overall, not a bad plot, it's different. I just hope this isn't where all "horror" films are heading in the near future.

Not bad but not good also

[Egyspirit · 4/10 · 12 March 2021]

Briefly it needs to speed up a little, and the ending is meaningless or should I say cheap cliche ending

Scary stuff just in time for halloween!

[itsall1 · 9/10 · 31 October 2019]

Really well done. I like scary movies and am usually not really that scared watching them. I have to say, toward the end of this movie I was watching through my hands!! lol Special effects were really good and Frankie Muniz was great playing a lonely slacker. Good stuff!

Psychotic break or something more sinister?

[wildsparrow16 · 8/10 · 18 May 2022]

Frankie's performance was phenomenal. He plays a very sympathetic character - a guy who works his a** off at night in a liquor store, but still can't make ends meet. His parents help pay his rent, but offer nothing in the way of emotional support despite how hard he works. He is incredibly lonely, has one friend, and subpar social skills. He hooks up with a gal at a chat line just to go out and have a bite to eat but she seduces him. She is gone in the morning, and from there begins a gradual psychotic break as mysterious things begin to happen to him. Just when you think it is all in his head, something will happen to indicate there is something supernatural at work. His behavior becomes more erratic the more scared he becomes. He eventually ends up in a psych ward where he becomes particularly vulnerable (to his own demons or to real ones - it becomes apparent in the end). The ending was exceptionally macabre, unfortunately - it will be hard to get out of your head. This is a chilling movie and Frankie deserves accolades for his role. Good acting from all characters.