The Call

This film introduces us to the unexplored environment of the psychically demanding work of 911 operators and relies on the emotional acting of the Oscar-winning Halle Berry, for whom “her case” becomes very personal. This thriller starts out nicely and is brutal and exciting; the scene with the victim in the trunk of the car offers some original moments. But in the climax, which was supposed to top it all, the movie loses all inventiveness and delivers one cliché after another before coming to a dull ending with zero catharsis. The result is a routine affair, which has nothing to make it stand out among dozens of similar flick about chasing murderers and rescuing kidnapping victims. It cannot hold a candle to films like The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, that are light years ahead of it. (15.05.2013)

A pure, fast-paced genre thriller with a wonderfully straightforward plot that goes too deep (into the killer’s mind) in the climax. Information about the protagonist is limited to what we need to know for the work storyline. The remaining clues leading to identification with the protagonist are provided by Halle Berry’s convincing portrayal of a fragile yet determined woman. The personal storyline is then skilfully integrated into the work storyline (thanks to which the film is also an ode to the work of both emergency call operators and police officers) without being needlessly pushed into the foreground. I wouldn’t see the reason that the film is only slightly above average in the screenplay, which requires the characters to act more or less reasonably, of course with respect to the requirements of the genre, i.e. so that the film can offer us the expected viewing pleasure, the protagonist has to do something stupid at least once. I would blame the director for the film being “only” satisfactory. Though Brad Anderson manages to build a suspenseful scene with its own gradation, he has difficulties with the continuous escalation of tension throughout the film, which as a result functions in the manner of several related episodes of a television series. It has multiple dramatic peaks and seems to start anew several times, which is definitely to the film’s detriment given its modest runtime and high-concept premise. This also involves the impossibility of emotionally connecting with the victim, about whom we know terribly little. In any given slasher movie, she would merely be a warm-up for the killer before the final girl (the question of who the final girl actually is, and how the film uses the slasher formula, is perhaps the most inspiring aspect of The Call). We can sympathise with Jordan and feel the same powerlessness that she feels, but we don’t have to fear for her life through most of the film, because there is no real threat to her. The Call is thus reminiscent of Rear Window, whose protagonist had to rely on what he saw, just as Jordan has to make do with what she hears. Unfortunately, no imaginative work is done with the soundtrack (as in The Interview or Blow Out), but I would be wanting too much from a low-budget genre flick. 70% (06.05.2013)

An extremely undemanding thriller that doesn’t deliver anything we haven’t seen elsewhere. An insane psychopath, an abducted victim, and the heroine who tries to find her. But I still enjoyed The Call. The actors are good in their roles, Brad Anderson knows how to generate tension in some scenes, even though the viewer already knows how everything will turn out. It’s nothing exceptional, but falling in love every now and again with a simple thriller and enjoy it without much complaint… why not. However, the fact that Anderson, who began with the excellent indie horror Session 9, has ended up in such classic Hollywood commercial schlock is objectively a bit sad. (07.06.2013)

After I saw this film, I thought I was going to give it a four-star review. But it was enough for the user emma53 to write a single sentence to me and I realized that even though this thriller is good, the ending ruins the movie. You see, the whole thing is trying to look quite realistic. The 991 hotline, where emergency calls are answered by Halle Berry, was quite tense. But later, where Halle switches from providing help through a headset to actually helping specific people, the movie gets quite schematic, and it wasn’t very realistic. And the ending crowned everything. Anyways, when it comes to good thrillers, this one is still definitely worth watching. (08.11.2014)

In my reviews, I try to avoid the term "film cliché" as much as possible. Unfortunately, this piece relies on them to such an extent that it falls apart with them. You can perceive The Call as a routine thriller that can even strain your nerves if you turn off your brain, but I'm a complainer and I don't turn it off. So when I hear about the depth of holes in the script, unfortunately, I see craters that could comfortably fit a Federation spacecraft. Maybe even the whole fleet. Where others see a dangerous sexual maniac and psychopath, I see his caricature. I understand that not every script can have the qualities worthy of an Oscar, but this film lacks credibility even within the genre, and the crazy ending completely buries it. I like movies where the director and screenwriter play with the audience, dose out information, and lead them astray, but here the ending turned the thriller into an unwanted parody. My overall impression this time is not saved even by decent acting performances, so it remains at a very modest 25%. (28.12.2015)

Simple, brisk, exciting and interesting as hell. The ending (the final one) could have been a bit different, but whatever. It's good to see Halle Berry back in a role she clearly feels at home, it's impossible not to root for the kidnapped cutie Abigail Breslin, and the villain is truly hellish. (08.10.2014)