When a Stranger Calls
When a Stranger Calls

When a Stranger Calls

2006Movie87 minEnglish

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.

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Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes17%
Metacritic38/100
Google Users60%
Director: Simon WestGenres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Plot Summary

Jill Johnson, a high school student, takes a babysitting job at a secluded modern mansion. While tending to the children, she receives increasingly menacing phone calls. Terrified, she discovers the calls are coming from inside the house. As the night progresses, she must fight for her life against an unseen and relentless attacker.

Critical Reception

The 2006 remake of 'When a Stranger Calls' received generally negative reviews from critics and divided audiences. While some acknowledged its suspenseful premise and effective scares in certain moments, many criticized its slow pacing, underdeveloped characters, and reliance on predictable horror tropes. The film's perceived lack of originality and its departure from the original's iconic twist also drew significant criticism.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its tense atmosphere and effective jump scares.
  • Criticized for its slow build-up and lack of originality.
  • The film's attempt to modernize a classic horror story was deemed largely unsuccessful by many reviewers.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a mixed reception, with many appreciating the suspense and the film's ability to create a sense of dread. However, a significant portion of viewers found the plot predictable and the characters lacking depth, ultimately feeling that the remake did not live up to the legacy of the original.

Fun Fact

The house used in the film was the same house used in the 1996 film 'Independence Day'.

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TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
Alunauwie

Alunauwie

“When a Stranger Calls” is a psychological thriller remake that offers a tense and engaging storyline, effectively building suspense through strong acting and solid cinematography. However, the film struggles with several plot inconsistenci...