When a Stranger Calls
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Mediocre remake of the marginal 1978 psychological thriller about a high-school student (Camilla Belle) who, while baby-sitting at a secluded lakefront home, is terrorized by the phone threats of an unseen homicidal stalker, only to discover that the calls are coming from inside the house. Director Simon West forgoes plot and plausibility in favor of easy jolts, but does manage to create an unnerving atmosphere of isolation and suspense through suggestion, while keeping the violence relatively tame. Some violence, including a hand skewered by a fire poker, scenes of menace and child peril, implied murders, brief images of dead bodies and scattered crude language. A-III -- adults. (PG-13) 2006
"When a Stranger Calls" (Screen Gems) is not bad as far as B-movie psychological thrillers go. There's lots of sweaty-palm-inducing shadow play and things going bump on a dark and stormy night. But, in the end, that's all there is.
Camilla Belle stars in this mediocre remake of the marginal 1978 horror film. As with Carol Kane in the original, she plays a high school student who, while baby-sitting at a secluded lakefront home, is terrorized by the phone threats of an unseen stalker ("Have you checked the children?"), only to later discover that the calls are coming from inside the house.
Director Simon West forgoes plot and plausibility in building an atmosphere of isolation and suspense, which, though unnerving, ultimately grows tedious.
And while he accomplishes his set task for the most part through suggestion and massaging viewers' paranoia, the final 20 minutes unravel into action mode.
There is some intense tussling between the plucky heroine and homicidal maniac, but West keeps the body count low and the violence relatively tame.
If you're in the mood for some easy jolts, you could do worse, but if you're looking for sophisticated cerebral chills "When a Stranger Calls," don't answer the phone.
The film contains some violence, including a hand skewered by a fire poker, scenes of menace and child peril, implied murders, brief images of dead bodies and scattered crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
The following movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.