The Black String (2018) User Reviews (55)

Weird Psychological Thriller

[Ckn48 · 6/10 · 6 March 2022]

Guy wanting female company phones a premium rate number and meets a female stranger for a night of passion. When he wakes in the morning, things start going bad for him.

He can't find the girl, her number is disconnected. He starts seeing things, hes accused of beating up his best friend. Gets arrested, released to parents care... runs away, finds a flyer that leads him to a witch who tells him hes been exposed to Black magic. She gives him a bag with instructions as to how to save himself. He continues on a downward spiral until He ends up on a psyche ward. He can't defend himself so when the evil comes from him, He is completely defenceless.

The sound is ok The Photography is ok The Acting is ok The Plot is ok but too weird with little explanation.

Its worth a watch 👍

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.

What???

[Headturner1 · 3/10 · 15 September 2019]

Ok. I saw this had 2 good reviews at the time so I watched it last night. Yes ( I never really watched Frankie in the middle) but Muniz did a good job with this mish mash he had to go with. It was an occult film? No? I think more of a look thru the mind of someone with psychosis? But even that's unclear. If they were witches why in the end he tries to "cut it all out". made no sense. I kept watching in hopes something would happen. Everyone acted creepy and weird so you think something's going on but they never really go into all that but he is in a psych hospital a lot throughout the movie so. I also can't say any of the other actors were engaging to watch or very good actors so I don't recommend this. The 3 ratings are to hype the movie...

Get into your head kind of movie

[deanna-31 · 7/10 · 29 October 2019]

When I was in middle school, I read my first Stephen King novel (Carrie) and have been a fan of psychological thrillers ever since. I despise slasher/gore movies, so was pleasantly surprised that this movie wasn't the typical violent scary movie. Frankie Muniz was nerdy enough in the role to be believable as the main character working in a Stop N Go liquor store, with very little in the way of a life going on. The movie does leave you guessing at the end and does not tie it up in a neat little bow for you, which keeps you thinking about it long after the movie ends which I prefer and shows a bit more intelligence towards the story line.

Interesting movie that never really goes anywhere.

[christiancerna-08964 · 4/10 · 29 September 2019]

Frankie Muniz did a good job with what he was given. The movie starts off interesting. But it ends pretty poorly. I think the ending would have been better if he wasn't holding a knife.

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 ...

Passing Over to the Other Side

[lavatch · 3/10 · 3 October 2019]

In the bonus track of the DVD of "The Black String," the director and co-writer Brian Hanson described his film as "a suburban Gothic tale" and "a fun and mysterious film." While there was a strong dosage of the Gothic element inherent in the horror genre, the "fun" and "mysterious" parts were severely lacking.

Another problem with the film was the overall unpleasantness of virtually all of the characters. While Frankie Muniz was an effective Everyman character in his interpretation of the protagonist Jonathan Marsh, the rest of the cast seemed sketchy and underdeveloped. This was especially the case with Dena, who had one dynamic scene early the film, then essentially dropped out of the action.

The main dramatic element of the film was the "man on the run" trope with Jonathan racing against the clock to defeat the forces of darkness that have invaded his body through witchcraft. After he meets the character of Ms. Melinda, he has a tiny handbook that provides him with an arsenal of tactics to fight back against the witchcraft through resisting passing over to "the other side." The expectation that the hero would mount a strong defense against the forces of evil. Instead, he spent all of his time fighting the forces of the rational world (doctors, parents, friends, and police) to prevent him in his quest to overcome his "infection."

There were far too many scenes that were utterly static with Jonathan running in place while forced to live with his parents; getting tied up in a bed in the pscyh ward of a hospital; or remaining in a "circle" in an abandoned shack. The stasis of this film was paralyzing to the viewer.

In the extras segment of the DVD, we learn that the film began as a college thesis project, then received the green-light as a low-budget feature. But the final product still felt like a flawed film school learning experience. And the main problem was the script that never brought out the filmmaker's goals of the mystery and the fun.

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.

I want this to happen

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 2 October 2019]

Jonathan Marsh (Frankie Muniz aka Bud the stud) works at a "lifestyle convenience boutique" also known as the Stop and Go liquor store. He works 60 hours a week and is running in place. He meets Dena on a 1-900 voice chat and has sex. The next morning he has open sores and a burning rash. Things start to get crazy. He has two opposing diagnoses. His board-certified psychologist says one thing and a psychic tells him something else.

The film held my interest although I think the mechanics and scenes could have been done better. It seems like it was missing something.

Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity.

not bad

[yamahapic · 5/10 · 29 September 2019]

Not bad but could have been a better film..as climax is poor

Not a bad story of the descent into mental illness

[Saiph90 · 6/10 · 6 March 2022]

Frankie Muniz works at a stop and go liquor store, lonely he rings up a 1-900 chat line and hooks up with Dena, they go back to his place and have unprotected sex. He then falls into a phsycotic illness believing that it is the work of witchcraft. Superficial a horror story but deeper is more a story of paranoia and the losing grasp of reality.

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.

It was alright.

[jenniferlynn-49555 · 5/10 · 29 November 2019]

Problem I have is, Frankie will always be Malcom to me. That character was his blessing and his curse. It's really difficult to see him as anything else. SPOILERS.. I enjoyed that this movie kept me thinking. Every time I thought I figured it out, something else would happen and I would change my mind. I liked that it kept me interested enough to finish the movie because I had to know. Is he dealing with witches or a mental illness? In the beginning of the movie, his parents are calling and checking in on him, suggesting something had happened before. Which leads to mental illness. Was this psychic real? Dena? His account on time? Was he really having conversations or going these places and seeing these creepy people? My final thought was yes he had a mental illness but was doing well with his medications and maybe this was easy for the demon to do its thing. The end, no one believed him and the demon did kill him but put the knife in his hand, so after everything it looks like he did it. Remember, his hands were restricted, he couldn't have disemboweled himself, let alone get that knife. Then at the very end, the witches picked up another victim. No one listened to him, so the madness continues. It made me keep watching until the end because I had to find out which it was. My biggest problem, he will forever be, Malcom in the Middle.

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?

Another "I know I look Crazy but I'm Really Not' Flick

[deadbull-95171 · 7/10 · 26 July 2023]

This one was so predictable, I'd have been embarrassed to produce it, but then the cynicism of the modern producer knows no bounds. Just wait ten minutes or ten years and re-release the same schlock with some new faces and a few new lines and that's all you need to rope the next batch of suckers.

Still, with a solid performance by the lead, and good support, this ride works just fine. If you hadn't seen its ilk 1000 times before, it might even impress you. I like my horror served up this way. Good ole E. A. Poe wrote essays on how true horror always devolves to the individual. Mass slaughters simply don't entertain the way a single individual being ripped apart does. Big numbers dilute misery. That ends this lecture.

The above is a sort of disclaimer. I really liked this movie. For all its obviousness, it's a good solid movie that creates an empathy with its pathetic hero. I liked seeing what's his name from the first Deuce Bigelow as well. This movie is full of perky little moments.