ONE MISSED CALL (2008)
Official Site:
Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, Ed Burns Rating: M for Moderate Horror Themes and Violence. Tagline: What will it sound like when you die?. Theatrical Release: Scrapped. DVD Release: September 11, 2008 BOX OFFICE: Initially, the film was planned for release in 2007, and Australia's date was September 20, a few months after the US release, but release was delayed until January 2008 for the US, and Australia had March 27, 2008 as it's release, however all theatrical plans in Australia were scrapped when the film didn't perform too well there. Special Features: NONE |
Plot Synopsis, Review
It happens to one. Then another. And another. College students discover eerie voicemail messages on their mobile phones. Each call comes from the near future, and the message is from moments before their death. Beth and detective Jack struggle to find answers to why the messages are happening, and where is the source. They must hurry to find out because Beth just recieved one missed call.
Average. The film got straight into the story, not allowing a good half an hour of character set-ups and backstory, so when majority of characters were dead 45 minutes in, the viewer doesn't seem to care. Their were some genuine creepy moments that had extreme potential to be terrifying, but they didn't live up to that potential. The film was a very modernised tale of horror, and while most of the supernatural elements fitted in with the plot, the ending (which was open ended, predictable much?) I really didn't understand why the calls were still happening. The last 40 minutes were just two characters scrambling for answers, and why that was fine because alot of information was given to the audience, I felt the lack of characters towards the end was a little unsatisfying.
The film is a US remake (**rolls eyes**) of a Asian hit of the same name. It's great in pacing, but the lack of background in characters doesn't give the audience time to decide whether they like them or not. Only the lead character of Beth (and somewhat Jack) were given the backstory, which only played into the plot within the last few minutes. The opening scene was really strong in getting the viewer hooked, but the ending was a disspointment.
The acting was good. Shannyn Sossamon played Beth, the Psych student who is the last of her group of friends to get the call. She was energetic and confronting as a character, and her good-intentioned girl-next-door attitude made her likeable. Ed Burns played Detective Jack, and i'm not sure whether it was intentional, but Jack and Beth seemed like they were sort of in a relationship at the end, but I wasn't too sure. He played the good cop, and was helping Beth because his sister was related to the case. Supporting cast Ana Claudia Talancon and Azura Skye seemed a little less experienced in acting, and It really showed. Their performences were a little off-putting to say the least.
Overall "One Missed Call" is a modern supernatural horror, that's potential was there, but failed to live up to. My rating is 2.5/5.
Average. The film got straight into the story, not allowing a good half an hour of character set-ups and backstory, so when majority of characters were dead 45 minutes in, the viewer doesn't seem to care. Their were some genuine creepy moments that had extreme potential to be terrifying, but they didn't live up to that potential. The film was a very modernised tale of horror, and while most of the supernatural elements fitted in with the plot, the ending (which was open ended, predictable much?) I really didn't understand why the calls were still happening. The last 40 minutes were just two characters scrambling for answers, and why that was fine because alot of information was given to the audience, I felt the lack of characters towards the end was a little unsatisfying.
The film is a US remake (**rolls eyes**) of a Asian hit of the same name. It's great in pacing, but the lack of background in characters doesn't give the audience time to decide whether they like them or not. Only the lead character of Beth (and somewhat Jack) were given the backstory, which only played into the plot within the last few minutes. The opening scene was really strong in getting the viewer hooked, but the ending was a disspointment.
The acting was good. Shannyn Sossamon played Beth, the Psych student who is the last of her group of friends to get the call. She was energetic and confronting as a character, and her good-intentioned girl-next-door attitude made her likeable. Ed Burns played Detective Jack, and i'm not sure whether it was intentional, but Jack and Beth seemed like they were sort of in a relationship at the end, but I wasn't too sure. He played the good cop, and was helping Beth because his sister was related to the case. Supporting cast Ana Claudia Talancon and Azura Skye seemed a little less experienced in acting, and It really showed. Their performences were a little off-putting to say the least.
Overall "One Missed Call" is a modern supernatural horror, that's potential was there, but failed to live up to. My rating is 2.5/5.