Read Mixed User Reviews for The Call (2013)

5

RalphsReviewsApr 29, 2013

The first two acts of this film are great. It is intense, suspenseful and emotional. All the performances are good and it is very well paced. The problem comes when the third act starts. It turns from a twisted thriller into a dumb genericThe first two acts of this film are great. It is intense, suspenseful and emotional. All the performances are good and it is very well paced. The problem comes when the third act starts. It turns from a twisted thriller into a dumb generic "Silence of the Lambs" ripoff. I would recommend watching the movie and walking out an hour in.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

All this user's reviews

4

TheWalrus2000Mar 18, 2013

I feel like I wasted my time watching this movie since it was already unpopular. Halle Berry had a bad performance and scenes just go down in history forgettable. It wasn't total failure but it could have and should have been more than it was.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

5

forTheNomSep 2, 2013

It was a good and exciting movie up until the last half hour where a 911 operator turns into high class detective discovering the location of the kidnapper. No cell signal where there was one in a previous scene, no cops at the location whichIt was a good and exciting movie up until the last half hour where a 911 operator turns into high class detective discovering the location of the kidnapper. No cell signal where there was one in a previous scene, no cops at the location which they knew and was the only lead they had. They were there, but then left just before ms. 911 shows up and solves everything in 5 minutes flat. Oh and the last scene makes NO sense at all. Hal Berry is great, but the ending leaves you staring at the credits while you shake your head and wonder why the writers decided that was the best way to go out. Still giving it a 5 for everything up until the end. Don't watch this one people, you'll be disappointed...… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

5

GreatMartinMar 15, 2013

Once you get past the unattractive Harpo Marx hairdo sported by Halle Berry in “The Call” the first 80 minutes of this 98 film presents an interesting thriller before it becomes a cliche of previous thrillers. At that point it falls apartOnce you get past the unattractive Harpo Marx hairdo sported by Halle Berry in “The Call” the first 80 minutes of this 98 film presents an interesting thriller before it becomes a cliche of previous thrillers. At that point it falls apart leaving more questions than answers but you really don’t want to waste time trying to figure out what just happened.

The screenplay by Richard D’Ovidio sets up the story of 911 star operator Jordan (Halle Berry) who makes a mistake and feels she is responsible for the death of a young kidnapped victim. Instead of continuing as an operator she now trains newcomers to the 911 center, known as ‘The Hive’ due to all the buzzing continuously going on of dispatchers answering phones with “911, what is your emergency?” and then following through to help solve them all from attempted suicides to a bat flying around in someone’s house. Jordan has a handsome police officer boyfriend, Paul Phillips, (Morris Chestnut) and with the help of some pills seems to have recovered from her previous experience only to once again be put in the same position. One of things she keeps telling the trainees is to never make promises to people on the other end of the line.

Casey Wilson (Abigail Breslin) has been kidnapped in a mall garage by Michael Foster (Michael Eklund) who carries on in the Norman Bates, Hannibal Lecter and/or “Buffalo Bill” disturbed mode of killer. He puts her in the trunk of his car and using a cell phone, (What did thrillers use before cell phones?), she calls 911 and when the operator seems to be fumbling Jordan takes over. In most thrillers logic has to be parked at the door before the movie starts and this is no different but the various ways in which Jordan advises Casey and the sadistic actions of Michael as he travels Los Angeles highways and byways makes for gripping times in the film before it takes a wrong turn and makes the women action heroines.

Berry does her usual efficient job while Breslin takes a huge step into being ready for adult roles Eklund goes from a serious, sadistic killer to, at times, the script making him an object of ridicule. Michael Imperioli as an innocent victim brings an element of surprise as does Jose Zuniga. The direction by Brad Anderson is more or less pedestrian while the music by John Debney plays with the emotions.

“The Call” is rated R with gratuitous violence, sex and language but being a good thriller the first 80 minutes before going off the tracks and falling into the mundane.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

6

analogkid280Mar 15, 2013

Hallie Berry shows her concerned side in this strange but interesting suspense fest. It sure is great with many clever ideas thrown out as Berry does her job. It just ends in such a weird note that while the credits rolled I decided to bumpHallie Berry shows her concerned side in this strange but interesting suspense fest. It sure is great with many clever ideas thrown out as Berry does her job. It just ends in such a weird note that while the credits rolled I decided to bump this rating down a notch. If you missed the last 30 minutes of the movie it gets an 8 otherwise its a 6 if you stayed and watched the whole thing. Why did the director do this I am so mad at him. So good and then, uuugh.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

4

TetsuoMay 5, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This has a good premise on how 911 operators work. The first act sets up nicely, the second act goes smoothly and the final act jumps the shark. Once you know the antagonist's motive it becomes ludicrous that it become an episode of Criminal Minds.

Brad Anderson is a good director, who did The Machinist and Transsiberian which were good thrillers; it's a shame he had to work with a script that doesn't know how to have a proper finale.

Halle Berry doesn't even call the cops and instead goes vigilante on us. Once you think she manages to rescue the girl, the captive sugget to have the guy tied to a chair and lock him inside the hidden cellar. Sudden it has turned into a Hostel wannabe. This final act and ending ruined what could of been a tense thriller instead it becomes a 90-minute disappointed that doesn't give you a feeling of satisfaction.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

ZilcellMar 17, 2013

Remember movies like "House at the End of the Street" or "Gone", which lacked in character development, acting, and believable tone? Remember their misguided and incoherent endings that lacked any wit? Well, i'd say that "The Call" has muchRemember movies like "House at the End of the Street" or "Gone", which lacked in character development, acting, and believable tone? Remember their misguided and incoherent endings that lacked any wit? Well, i'd say that "The Call" has much more wit and believability. It suffers from a lot of important plot elements that could have been added and maybe the supporting characters could have been put to better use, but this film is a treat in a genre that has recently had a lot of repetitive and lazy flicks.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

5

mtoonsJun 29, 2013

Way to much of using a stupid tricks to given some shock? Not at all but no gut. If the film want to press the audience into corner just like Silence of The Lambs. It's a shame. You have to work harder and more original stuff that make senseWay to much of using a stupid tricks to given some shock? Not at all but no gut. If the film want to press the audience into corner just like Silence of The Lambs. It's a shame. You have to work harder and more original stuff that make sense please. While watching this film. I have a lot of questions that lead to unreliable plot.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

4

FirebalaSep 26, 2013

If this was not the end yet, I would say that it stands out from the average, but it's unfortunately only one of many, and did not start badly, but then the ending

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

jppl1999Mar 27, 2015

6 heading to 5 just because of one thing: the ending. This movie, at least for me, its worth 7 or 8, but the ending, the useless, nonsense ending, almost destroys all the work and, lets call "progress", that was built before it. Why didn't6 heading to 5 just because of one thing: the ending. This movie, at least for me, its worth 7 or 8, but the ending, the useless, nonsense ending, almost destroys all the work and, lets call "progress", that was built before it. Why didn't they just finished the traditional way where they escape and call for help? I don't know; but sometimes you just have accept it the way it is: sh*t happens.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

DCEdmondsNov 13, 2014

"The Call" 10 Scale Rating: 6.0 (Decent) ...

The Good: I typically loathe Halle Berry as an actress, but she was solid here. A gimmicky high-concept film, but for three quarters of the film it is very well done and keeps your interest."The Call" 10 Scale Rating: 6.0 (Decent) ...

The Good: I typically loathe Halle Berry as an actress, but she was solid here. A gimmicky high-concept film, but for three quarters of the film it is very well done and keeps your interest. Despite the simplistic nature of the premise and plot, it is initially a fairly gripping tale.

The Bad: ... then it degenerates into something else entirely. Once Berry leaves the call center, the film takes a nose dive. After coasting along for an hour, the last thirty minutes are pretty standard fare ... and not overly good standard fare at that. The movie's villain, once fully revealed and explained, wasn't all that interesting.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

CineAutoctonoJan 11, 2016

The Call" was a little monotonous intense and dramatic movie , but the story and the perfomance as Haley Berry, dazzled in this film. The script is very good, exepcional theme, but the rest was a bit vague.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

DevilmathSep 27, 2015

At a first glance, "The Call" might seem like a minor work, destined to arouse interest only after its DVD release, and to be watched absent-mindedly during an autumn afternoon. Not that it tries to be subtle, or pretends to be meaningful:At a first glance, "The Call" might seem like a minor work, destined to arouse interest only after its DVD release, and to be watched absent-mindedly during an autumn afternoon. Not that it tries to be subtle, or pretends to be meaningful: “The Call” is action, jump scares, petty suspense; it’s built to entertain the viewer for its 92 minutes of running time, and sell a lot of popcorn. Don’t underestimate it though, it will surprise you.
The film tells the story of Jordan (Halle Berry), a 911 operator at the Los Angeles Police Department. She works in the “Hive”, a police nest where the buzz of emergency calls never stops, 24/7. One day, realising that she has lost her control and objectivity during a call ended in tragedy, Jordan decides to give up the headset and pick up the training of new recruits. But six months later, while leading a tour of the Hive with a group of wannabe operators, she ends up handling a call from Casey (Abigail Breslin), a teenager kidnapped by a ruthless and psychotic killer (Michael Eklund), and locked in the trunk of his car racing towards certain death. Unfortunately the film doesn’t show what happens with the job applicants, but I like to interpret it as a metaphor for how best to weigh the pros and cons of a new job, and then eventually withdraw your application.
After niche films like “The Machinist” and “Transsiberian” and a lot of TV work, director Brad Anderson returns to cinema to give personality to a script that, on its own, would hardly make an interesting film. Contrarily to his previous work, which shows Anderson’s passion for Hitchcockian situations and atmospheres, “The Call” is marked by a more commercial and easy-going style. Predictably, the characters adhere to the genre’s standard, at the expense of the film’s credibility: their personalities are light years away from the complexity of Christian Bale’s Trevor Reznik in “The Machinist”. “The Call” prefers to focus on keeping tension high throughout the film, using gimmicks that are all-but-new but still effective, easily keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. And although the interpretations are just good enough to fit the level of action and thrills set by the mediocre script, it’s impossible not to notice the director’s skills. His talent shines through every shot, particularly in the grueling and never-ending second act, where a terrified Casey, locked in the car’s trunk, is on the phone with Jordan. That’s when drama escalates.
The film then takes the unexpected turn nobody asked for: a “Silence Of The Lambs”-like twist of plot that appears shockingly unintelligent and involuntarily hilarious. I won’t spoil the ending, but the astonishment it provokes is worth experiencing on your own skin. This finale, so illogical and grotesque, jeopardises the reputation of what could have been a discrete film, but at the same time turns it into an unmissable guilty pleasure. And that’s how a mostly forgettable feature, made with good intentions but without great ideas, instantly becomes a cult. One of the final shots, with the bad guy lying at the bottom of a pit, the good guys towering above him, and the American flag towering over them, is a truly remarkable page in the history of trash moments in cinema.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

BroyaxJan 9, 2017

Un thriller dans les coulisses du "911", le numéro d'urgence américain qui en voit défiler des vertes et des pas mûres (rien que du très classique au pays de la violence) jusqu'à ce qu'une opératrice se retrouve mêlée et emmêlée dans uneUn thriller dans les coulisses du "911", le numéro d'urgence américain qui en voit défiler des vertes et des pas mûres (rien que du très classique au pays de la violence) jusqu'à ce qu'une opératrice se retrouve mêlée et emmêlée dans une affaire d'enlèvement par un atroce psychopathe.

Halle Berry s'en tire honorablement, il s'agit d'une actrice de bonne volonté, adepte généralement des mentions "assez bien" ici et là. La belette qui se fait enlever, que dis-je, l'épouvantable bécasse tape prodigieusement sur les nerfs par contre. J'attendais en fait avec impatience que l'affreux la découpe pour mettre fin à cette agitation hystérique permanente.

C'est assez dommage, car une bonne moitié du film exploite très habilement cet enlèvement téléphonique et la recherche qui en découle ; la dernière partie devient cependant trop classique et sans surprise, se bornant à rester dans les clous du thriller hollywoodien syndical.

La mise en scène malgré quelques errements (caméra agitée, montage téléscopé) s'avère assez efficace et le rythme demeure assez soutenu. Un film assez bon, tout compte fait, mais auquel il manque pas mal de choses pour devenir vraiment bon.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

5

DeanomiteJan 13, 2020

Too corny too melodramatic. It just did not appeal to me. I like Halle Barry (her best was Gothika and John Wick 3). I like the director Brad Anderson, but the only movie I like of his is The Machinist.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

6

hoops2448Sep 2, 2013

Despite a haircut that makes it look like some kind of small animal died on her head, Halle Berry is excellent in The Call, a tense thriller that was a genuine surprise, a smartly written and performed film. When Jordan (Berry) is responsibleDespite a haircut that makes it look like some kind of small animal died on her head, Halle Berry is excellent in The Call, a tense thriller that was a genuine surprise, a smartly written and performed film. When Jordan (Berry) is responsible for the death of a young girl, she quits work as an emergency call operator but when another girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin) is taken she finds herself back in the chair trying to save her from her captor. The Call is a pulse pounding film as it playfully subverts horror conventions to create a thriller so tense that you may well feel your heart beating in your chest. Grounded by an excellent performance by Berry as the good natured but self conscious Jordan, everything in the film feels real adding a new level to the action as Breslin's Casey gets closer to her destination and her expected demise. The usual diversions are to be expected and an odd and slightly pointless cameo by Michael Imperioli slows the film down but all in all its a film with an interesting premise, two great central performances and an ability to play with the viewers head. The only real downside is the film's villain, he lacks the charisma of other horror villains and while the tension and terror is real, the ending is written on the walls from the beginning and it takes the adventure out of an otherwise great film. It's not a bad film, it's fun, clever and creepy but it doesn't really push boundaries in its conclusion so much as nudge them, hoping they will fall over on their own.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

5

imthenoobJun 25, 2013

While the cast is pretty solid, Berry is a rather disappointing lead and Eklund, who plays the film's villain, failed to be a satisfying performance as well. The plot was also incredibly predictable at times as well, I often called what wouldWhile the cast is pretty solid, Berry is a rather disappointing lead and Eklund, who plays the film's villain, failed to be a satisfying performance as well. The plot was also incredibly predictable at times as well, I often called what would happen next several minutes before it happened. The ending was also rather disappointing and made little sense. That being said, I still enjoyed The Call quite a bit. It was interesting and entertaining, I gotta give it that. It's worth giving a shot.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

beingryanjudeSep 1, 2014

This is not a perfect film--but what it does perfectly is keep you on the edge of your seat with an intense story and gripping suspense. Halle Berry will leave you craving for more.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

BrianMcCriticJun 7, 2013

The first two thirds of this film is a strong 7, but the final third brings this film down to a 6. Still I would recommend watching the film for strong performances.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

5

KoncensusApr 10, 2013

The Call, a decent movie, nothing to write home to mom about, but enough thrills to keep me interested and engaged. I have to admit after viewing this movie I have many questions. Questions about the sister, the wife, etc. I would tend toThe Call, a decent movie, nothing to write home to mom about, but enough thrills to keep me interested and engaged. I have to admit after viewing this movie I have many questions. Questions about the sister, the wife, etc. I would tend to think Halle Berry is the only reason this movie attracts viewers. I also can really respect the brief glimpse of the life of a 911 emergency dispatcher and how critical their jobs are.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

6

FilmVirtueApr 6, 2014

Generally a somewhat thriller film "The Call" never dies down on It's plot and acting but It does on the actual story as well as violence. You may fine it as a stripped down version of "Maniac" comparing It's similar content. NeverthelessGenerally a somewhat thriller film "The Call" never dies down on It's plot and acting but It does on the actual story as well as violence. You may fine it as a stripped down version of "Maniac" comparing It's similar content. Nevertheless this film kept me watching, and I'm sure you will too.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews