The Caller (2011)
Brief review: "The Caller" is a low-budget horror thriller that revolves around the recently divorced Mary Kee, who's tormented by a series of sinister phone calls from a mysterious woman. Plot-wise, the film works as much as it doesn't. It's filled with many twists and turns along the way, maybe too many, and although that keeps it dynamic and gripping, it might be too confusing for some viewers. Director Matthew Parkhill does a good job of creating tension and mysterious atmosphere that keeps you guessing what is going to happen next, however, his direction often feels a bit too ambitious and all-over-the-place, which makes the movie seem more complicated than it actually is. The lack of budget is obvious, as visually, "The Caller" doesn't look very polished, nor is very appealing. The settings are quite gloomy and incredibly effective though. Most of the action takes place in an old, small apartment in a lower-class Puerto Rico suburban area, that looks dark and extremely creepy, and will definitely give you the chills. Rachelle Lefevre gives a solid performance as the troubled divorcee Mary, who has to handle with both - her ex psycho husband and the odd things happening in her new home, and the supporting cast do their best with the given material.
Overall summary: Despite its overly complicated plot and some execution weaknesses, "The Caller" is still a decent and fairly creepy little chiller, that delivers a couple good scares and enough twists to keep you entertained until the unexpected conclusion.
4 comments:
Interesting premise and I have to say that I like the cast. Luis Guzman is one actor I love to watch. He always places such diverse characters.
Your review is well-balanced and insightful. Your usual standard of excellence. :)
Hey have you seen 100 Feet with Famke Janssen, Ed Westwick and Bobby Canavale? It's about a woman who kills her abusive husband and is released to serve the remainder of her sentence under house arrest. The malevolent spirit of her husband haunts the house, wreaking havoc with her and whoever visits her. It's pretty interesting if a little uneven.
Mel, it's indeed very interesting, though execution wise it was a bit clumsy. Guzman is great and very sympathetic, I've always liked him.
Thank you, hon. Your compliments mean a lot to me.
I've seen "100 Feet", yes. I even reviewed it here. If I have to be honest, I pretty much hated it. Famke did a good job as always, but the film itself was pretty silly and poorly-made. The ghost husband was laughable. Had its moments though.
I saw a trailer for this one, looks okay, I'll prob give it a view eventually. Thanks for the great review too.
Pat, it surprised me.. pleasantly. It was cheap, but somewhat effective. Give it a shot if you can, and thanks for the nice comment. :)
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