Don't Answer THE CALL

THE CALL (Blu-ray)

2020 / 97 min

From Cineverse

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

For certain fans, Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell probably need no introduction. Though both have been kicking around for decades and have long, varied resumes, these days they’re most synonymous with horror, sort-of making them the Liam Neesons of the genre.

But be advised…like a lot of video releases touting instantly recognizable names above the title, neither Shaye nor Bell are the actual stars of The Call. In fact, the former is barely in it at all. The latter’s a little more vital to the plot, but most of this drab film focuses on yet-another batch of dull teenagers.

With new-to-town Chris (Chester Rushing) in tow, these teenagers regularly torment Edith Cranston (Shaye), a suspected witch that Tonya (Erin Sanders) blames for her sister’s death. After Edith commits suicide, her husband, Edward (Bell), invites all four kids to the house and announces that Edith is leaving them $100,000. There’s just one catch: Each must take turns going into a room to answer a phone and stay on the line for at least a minute. 

"Of course my refrigerator is running. Why do you ask?"

Naturally, it’s Edith on the other end of the line, calling from the grave to torment the kids for what they’ve done. They’re forced to reckon with their pasts through surreal, hallucinatory sequences that look inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street (albeit with far less imagination). Speaking of which, The Call takes place in the 80s, but unless it’s intended as an homage to movies like Elm Street, at no point is the setting relevant.

Though technically competent, The Call is not only derivative and predictable, its boring, arguably the worst sin a horror film can commit. Even the death scenes are fairly benign and bloodless. Shaye and Bell liven things up a bit (however briefly), but the other characters are neither interesting or likable. Don’t bother answering this call.