The Call

The Call arrives as a horror film directed by Brad Anderson, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Halle Berry and Evie Thompson give The Call a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in The Call comes into focus without a long explanation: When a veteran 911 operator takes a life altering call from a teenage girl who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life. Across its 1h 34m running time, Brad Anderson keeps The Call engaging in bursts but unable to maintain the same control.

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As director of The Call, Brad Anderson proves engaging in bursts but unable to maintain the same control in the transitions between intimate material and larger demands. A strong scene in The Call often begins with a modest detail before Brad Anderson lets its meaning expand. For The Call, worthwhile ideas compete with an uneven structure because the central tone remains visible even during busy passages. The weakness in The Call is that the pace alternates between hurry and drift, although Brad Anderson usually finds the original rhythm again.

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The acting in The Call is anchored by Halle Berry, who treats even functional scenes as opportunities to reveal character. Evie Thompson answers that approach with a different energy, giving The Call welcome friction whenever the pace begins to settle. Around them, Abigail Breslin helps The Call feel like an ensemble piece rather than a vehicle with decorative support. Under Brad Anderson, the performances in The Call share a tone even when the writing gives them unequal depth.

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Rather than summarise every event in The Call, it is enough to note how the central character places an important relationship under growing pressure. Halle Berry gives that tension a face, which stops The Call from becoming a mechanical sequence of developments. Richard D'Ovidio uses a difficult choice to widen the stakes of The Call without losing sight of the original problem. Where the wider conflict becomes predictable, The Call recovers interest through the consequences surrounding it.

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The Call uses its horror film framework to consider fear, isolation and the moment familiar spaces stop feeling safe. For the character played by Halle Berry, that idea gives The Call stakes beyond the next immediate obstacle. The recurring pressure of an important relationship prevents the theme in The Call from feeling like decoration added after the story. Brad Anderson makes The Call more thoughtful whenever the implications remain inside action and reaction.

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The Call gains much of its identity from carefully rationed sound, a choice that makes the world readable as well as attractive. The contribution of TriStar Pictures allows The Call to combine carefully rationed sound with a consistent visual language. Within its United States setting, The Call makes particularly good use of uneasy framing when the story needs to change scale. Sound and editing preserve the personality of The Call by supporting detail instead of announcing every intended response.

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For horror viewers who prefer atmosphere to constant shocks, The Call is ultimately a qualified recommendation. Its most persuasive combination in The Call brings Halle Berry together with uneasy framing under the direction of Brad Anderson. The fact that the pace alternates between hurry and drift prevents The Call from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, The Call has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.