Review of When a Stranger Calls (2006) by Adam F — 13 Feb 2012

Where should I begin with my list of complaints? For starters, the opening scene is so bitingly unnecessary and irrelevant and vague. The jaw-droppingly cool house is probably the best part of the film.

But why do people who are so rich live in the middle of nowhere? Nothing significant happens besides a few nearly wordless phone calls until the very end. Some suspense is effectively built up in all this exposition, but in the big picture it's ruined by an over reliance on "oh, there's nothing in this room after all" moments.

The two deaths throughout the film's duration aren't even shown. All the action takes place in the final 20 minutes; it's basically one big chase seen with only one or two effective scares.

The villain is treated as some superhuman evil incarnate, despite just being a regular guy who sneaked into a house and harassed a teenage girl. The acting is stiff and unconvincing. Most annoyingly of all, why the heck does a rich family with a live-in nanny even need a babysitter?!?!? In the end, this unsuccessful remake boils down to an illogical "thriller" that's only left with a cool playground and a very slight level of suspense.

Sadly, I think my favorite part was seeing current Glee star Diana Agron's 2 second cameo.