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When a Stranger Calls
2006 87 min United States of America PG-13 18+
★4.6
Horror, Mystery
Director: Simon West
Trailers
Description
Far away from the site of a gruesome murder, a teenager named Jill Johnson arrives at a luxurious home for a baby-sitting job. With the children fast asleep, she settles in for what she expects to be an ordinary evening. Soon, the ringing of a phone and the frightening words of a sadistic caller turn Jill's routine experience into a night of terror.
Budget:
$15M
US Gross:
$47.86M
Worldwide:
$67.06M
Starring
Camilla Belle
Actor
Tommy Flanagan
Actor
Katie Cassidy
Actor
Awards
3 nominations total
Key opinion
The 2006 remake of When a Stranger Calls is a divisive film that succeeds as an atmospheric, technology-driven thriller for some, while failing others due to its thin script and lack of payoff. While viewers generally praise Camille Belle's lead performance and the film's effective use of tension over gore, many critics and audiences found the plot repetitive and the resolution underwhelming.
| Acting | Camille Belle delivers a compelling and convincing performance that effectively anchors the film's suspense. | |
| Direction | Simon West’s direction successfully maintains a consistent sense of atmospheric dread and tension without relying on graphic violence. | |
| Screenplay | The film is criticized for a thin, derivative screenplay that fails to provide a satisfying motive or payoff for the antagonist. | |
| Production | The production design and high-tech setting effectively modernize the original premise, adding visual flair to the isolated mansion. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the pacing are split; some find the prolonged, suspenseful setup nerve-wracking, while others feel the repetition of false alarms makes the experience tedious and drawn-out. | |
| Ending | The climax is a major point of contention, with some viewers finding it a neat, effective resolution and others describing it as abrupt, hollow, or pointlessly anticlimactic. |