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      When a Stranger Calls

      2006, Horror/Mystery & thriller, 1h 27m

      91 Reviews 250,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      When a Stranger Calls ranks among the more misguided remakes in horror history, offering little more than a rote, largely fright-free update to the original. Read critic reviews

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      When a Stranger Calls  Photos

      A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." A scene from the film "When a Stranger Calls." When a Stranger Calls (2006) When a Stranger Calls (2006) When a Stranger Calls (2006)

      Movie Info

      Far away from the site of a gruesome murder, a teenager named Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) 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.

      • Rating: PG-13 (Some Language|Intense Terror|Violence)

      • Genre: Horror, Mystery & thriller

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Simon West

      • Producer: John Davis, Ken Lemberger, Wyck Godfrey

      • Writer: Jake Wade Wall

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $47.9M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

      • Production Co: Screen Gems, Davis Entertainment

      • Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround

      • Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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      News & Interviews for When a Stranger Calls

      Critic Reviews for When a Stranger Calls

      Audience Reviews for When a Stranger Calls

      • Aug 02, 2014

        If I discovered anything from "When A Stranger Calls", it is that inside me lives a vast hatred for the sound of a ringing phone. Amidst a chorus of those rings is an attempt at a home invasion thriller that sees a babysitter answering the phone to heavy breathing, casual threats, and fellow classmates playing jokes. Camilla Belle plays the role of innocent babysitter just fine, but remains a blank canvas that is never quite painted in. With poor decision after poor decision, I found myself cheering for Tommy Flanagan to finish her off, or to at least finish me off, so that I would not have to watch any more of this sordid cat and mouse thriller. One thing that never fails to amaze me is how ill-prepared these serial killers are for a female that will fight back, regardless of how small and weak they are.

        chris h Super Reviewer
      • Aug 14, 2012

        No plot, no scares. You might as well just fast-forward to the last ten minutes; everything before is utterly pointless. Not saying that the ending is anything special. None of the tension in this film is real. It's just fake scare after fake scare, and it gets old real fast.

        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 23, 2011

        It's predictable and frightless, can't believe I actually spend 5 bucks renting it. And what the hell is with that ending, so cliche.

        Super Reviewer
      • Sep 19, 2011

        When a Stranger Calls is one of the worst remakes that I have seen. The film has some very bad acting, a bad story and bad directing. As a horror film, When a Stranger Calls fails to deliver effective jolts. The scares are cheap and expected. I thought that this film was awful and I felt like it was a waste of time. This film is pure crap, and as far as remakes are concerned, them being dull and inspired compared to the first, well this one fits the description perfectly. I love horror films, horror films are my passion, my addiction and I was very disappointed in this film. I thought it was purely a waste of time, and celluloid. Remakes are much hit and miss, and this remake misses the mark entirely. The cast and story awful, and you just know how this film will end. The element of surprise, which makes horror films worth seeing, is absent, and thus, this film is very predictable and awful. This film scraps the bottom of the barrel and it's not fun, scary or entertaining. This is yet another unfortunate remake of a classic film that never should have been made in the first place. Hollywood is running out of ideas, and trash like this shows that they're willing to green light anything to make a quick buck. Some remakes are good, effective at delivering scares. However this one fails to deliver, and belongs along with the rest of the horrible sequels in the dollar bin at Wal-Mart. A terrible film, which you're not missing out on. Avoid.

        Super Reviewer

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