Search - When a Stranger Calls on DVD

Sally D. from EAGAR, AZ
Reviewed on 8/10/2009...

It was a fun movie to watch on a Saturday afternoon. Hard some slow parts but still enjoyable.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Vanessa O. (butterflyvo) from COMMERCE, GA
Reviewed on 1/8/2008...

this is a good movie. scary because it could actually happen!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

HURRAY! A REMAKE THAT'S ACTUALLY DECENT! 7 OUT OF 10

ACEMAN1 | Ripon, California | 03/14/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I was getting ready to watch this film I was bracing myself for a crapfest. I was very surprised that I didn't hate it. Granted, it won't wow anyone unless you're a teenage girl who has never watched a horror film, but it provides enough entertainment to serve as a likable midnight horror flick. I think people criticize this film more than it deserves. Even if you hate it you can't deny that this film is a big cut above atrocious remakes like Prom Night and The Wicker Man (Hands down, the worst of the remakes I've witnessed thus far).
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Jill Johnson is a teenage girl going through troubles recently. Her boyfriend cheated on her and it turns out she ran up a large cell phone bill. So her parents force her to babysit for a rich family who just so happen to live in the middle of nowhere (Yes this film has stupid little inconsistencies and cliches). The family she is babysitting is fairly nice and let Jill do pretty much whatever she wants. She mostly explores the house since the children are sleeping, but then she starts getting strange phone calls. At first the voice doesn't say anything, but after a few phone calls, the caller poses the question, "Have you checked the children?" Jill panics of course and checks, but the children are unharmed and the phone calls continue. But then she realizes the caller can see her and then it becomes a fight for survival against a killer.
MUSIC: The music fits the horror mood as it should, and I really have no gripes against it.
ACTING: Mixed. Some actors do a fairly good job, while others just plain suck. Camilla Belle's performance I felt was decent and nowhere near as bad as people said it was. While the acting wasn't great, there were enough decent performances to hold it together.
ACTION: Most of the film takes place in the house and the main character wandering around trying to find out where the calls were coming from. I have to admit this is what made the film work for me, and I have to applaud the film for going for realism. This is certainly not a fast-paced film, but it instead wants to build suspense and tension. I must say that it actually pulls it off pretty well. I wasn't scared, but it set up rather effective scenes (Especially near the end). I am also pleased to say that I was never really bored either.
OVERALL: I know a lot of people hate this film so I'm going to say this should be a cautionary rental. It provides enough entertainment to keep itself afloat and manages to be enjoyable. While I highly doubt it's better than the 1979 original, it gets the job done and works fairly well as a suspense/horror flick. It won't blow you away, but it's certainly better than some of the other remakes to choose from.
THE GOOD: Good music, some decent actors, a good setup of suspense and tension, great set design, and I liked how this film aims for a realistic approach.
THE BAD: Horror film cliches, some bad actors, and it doesn't feel fully realized."

When a psycho calls

marky77 | England | 03/18/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When 16 year old Jills' boyfriend kisses her best friend she spends an excess of about 700 minutes on her mobile discussing it with him and so her parents make her get a baby-sitting job to pay the money back. And (surprise, surprise) the house she is babysitting at is a deserted mansion in the middle of (the woods?) nowhere.

At first the babysitting is a pretty enjoyable experience for Jill - the house is massive and full of fun and impressive gadgets and furniture, plus the children are already asleep in bed when she gets there so she hasnt really got any work to do either. But then the creepy phone calls begin and she cant contact any of her friends for help because they are all at this bonfire-party on the top a hill somewhere in town. At first she dissmissed the calls as a sick joke but then she discovers that the caller is watching her and he asks if she's checked the children...

This horror movie is more suspencefull than scary because nothing really happens for quit a while apart from her receiving creepy calls. In the last 20 minutes there is some horror and action as she discovers dead bodies and tries to escape the caller etc and the ennding is pretty chilling, too.

Overall this is quite a good horror movie (especially if you prefere suspence over gore) that I would reccomend if you are looking for a good horror/thriller movie."

Hanging Up

Kevin R. Sommerfield | appleton, wi | 12/31/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Once in a great while I will watch a movie that completely surprises me. One that comes out of nowhere to be a bit of rousing entertainment. One that is pure fun from beginning to end. Well folks, When A Stranger Calls is NOT that movie. It is an unbelievable stupid and far fetched remake of the much better 1979 horror camp classic. Our lead heroine Jill is forced to babysit after going over her cell phone minutes and is harassed by telephone calls from a mysterious caller. Every cliché in the world is used here from the stupid cat-jumping-out-of-a-hidden-spot to the car that won't start to the killer can be anywhere at anytime. This movie is bad...not even bad in a "so bad it's good way" more in a "so bad it's boring way." Skip this godawful film and save your movie for something else. You'll thank me later, trust me on this."