When A Stranger Calls (2006)

As I said in an earlier blog, Jillian picked out a few movies to watch this past weekend. Having a young daughter who is a Sci-Fi / Horror fan is a challenge. While I enjoy the fact that she has some darker movie interests, balancing what she can and cannot watch is a bit difficult at times. Fortunately, with the political correctness and conservatism that is destroying Sci-Fi and Horror running amuck, it is becoming easier to find something that fits my guidelines every time I go to the video store.  Of her flicks, we have already watched both in the Planet of the Apes and now the 2006 version of When A Stranger Calls.

Plot/ During an otherwise routine babysitting gig, a high-school student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

“The call is coming from inside the house,” I remember watching the original as a teen and having that line etched into my psyche. All these years later, it was an enjoyable afternoon watching this remake with my young daughter, hoping that it would have that lasting effect on her. Sure, this version is nowhere near the original failing to capture and maintain the dark feel of the original. Most of the acting was decent, the storyline solid and the cinematography pretty good. Unfortunately, there was really no characterization, no blood or no gore (and the suspenseful moments were rare). In the end, I truly preferred the original. My daughter loved the movie and was at the edge of her seat, but she has not seen the first one yet (and she is nine). Honestly, there are worse flicks out there, but if you have a chance, catch the original, it is much better.