When a Stranger Calls (2006)

Thanks for the memories!

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The atmosphere was resonant and intriguing in the introduction, with the vibrant atmosphere of the fair injecting some much needed originality into the film. However from this point I found the film dull and uninspiring due to a flat story line, poor script, bland and repetitive cinematography and amateurish acting. The tension was incredibly forced seemingly inspired by the 'aspiring director's handbook for crappy tension' which used all the cliché tricks such as stumbling for keys meant to create suspense, but I kinda found it laughable instead – this was repeated for most the movie. The plot build up seemed to lead nowhere leaving me disappointed at the not so climactic climax. Even though the movie was only 90 minutes it seemed to drag on and on because of the nothingness story. However, the chosen locations are to be praised as they invoke a feeling of hopelessness and isolation mirrored by the character.I wouldn't really recommend it, unless you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for horror films. I guess it's a pretty good comedy if you like screaming cliché at the top of your lungs like I do.

Based on the 1979 film, "When a Stranger Calls" stars Camilla Belle as an innocent teen who becomes the next target of an unknown serial killer. Jill Johnson is a talented track runner. She feels bummed after catching her boyfriend kissing one of her best friends played by Katie Cassidy (in a very pointless role). After going over her minutes, she's forced to take a babysitting job for a wealthy couple. After being dropped off by her dad, she meets the suave, charming couple and is soon left alone to tend to the kids. Jill eventually explores the luxurious home and as the evening progresses, she starts to receive frightening calls from a threatening stranger. The phone calls continue and Jill becomes consumed with fear. When the killer makes his way inside the house, he causes her to fear for her life.For starters, the plot is mediocre. And the acting and directing are the same. Most of the scenes seem very fast paced and as a result, we're not given the chance to really get to know the characters. In addition to the weak dialogue, there's just not much to see in this bland, little flick. This so called thriller doesn't produce much thrill at all, especially in the climatic part of the film.Overall, this film could've been avoided as a remake. It's a highly forgettable, low grade thriller with not much to see or look forward to. Watch only if you have nothing better to do.

When a Stranger Calls (2006): Dir: Simon West / Cast: Camilla Belle, Katie Cassidy, Brian Geraghty, Clark Gregg, Tessa Thompson: Horror film remake about fear that comes nowhere near close to the shocking effect of the original 1979 version where Carol Kane played the terrorized babysitter. Plot seems to stretch the effective first fifteen minutes of the original into the entire running time. A babysitter receives threatening calls and realizes that she may be being watched. Starts out fine with edge of your seat chills throughout but the third act bombs when the killer becomes nothing more than an object. He is a faceless villain whereas the original film it examines a frail individual with a tormented mind whom a detective struggles to bring down. None of that is present here because the goal of this farce is the lowest common denominator. Director Simon West who previously made the effective The General's Daughter as well as junk such as Con Air and Laura Croft: Tomb Raider focuses on the ominous features of the house, which is nice but the plot is greatly reduced to idiocy. Camilla Belle holds her own as the paranoid babysitter but he co-stars as as lively as blowup dolls. Katie Cassidy plays a school friend who drops by and dies. Brian Geraghty, Tessa Thompson and Clark Gregg are flat. Potential remake with a stranger with no motive other than to up the phone bill. Score: 3 ½ / 10

I could see on the forums, as well as by the overall rating, that this movie got some real hate. Now, Camilla Belle is no Carol Kane, by any means, and she's no Jamie Lee Curtis to be able to carry out almost an entire movie by herself, but she's not that bad. This version does differ from the original, especially in the last third of the film. Now, if you saw the original - then you know the major spoiler, the one thing that made the original really scary in the first place. And I agree with some of the reviewers that this is a cliché, but since it is rated PG- 13, I would strongly recommend this to younger viewers who are just entering the amazing world of horror movies. It's contemporary and modern and therefore more relate-able to the younger audience. What disappointed me the most were two things. First, even though Camilla Belle is okay, she lacks that true horror-heroine-quality that could've made this movie into a real gem. Decisions her character made in the movie were believable, and in some cases logical, but her acting was just not convincing enough. Second, they really played it safe and by doing so, stripped the movie of its original horror. The line "Have you checked the children?" kind of lost its meaning here by not correlating to the "stranger's" motives in the original plot, but I don't want to give anything away to those who haven't seen the original. So, I'm a bit disappointed because this could've been a really serious re-imagining of a classic, worthy to stand by its own. However, since this is not the case, watch it anyway, 'cause it's fun, but do see the original because it's scary.