“The Call” is a film with low ambitions. Starring Halle Berry as an emergency 911 phone operator in a kidnapping case, it aims to scare and thrill audiences and for the first hour, director Brad Anderson manages to pull it off, unfortunately, it falls apart in the final act.
Michael Eklund plays a serial killer who kidnaps a teenager (Abigail Breslin) and locks her in his trunk. Eklund’s performance is at first stoic and brooding, and is very convincing in the role. Breslin’s constantly terrified performance works on the basis of Eklund’s own chilling abilities.
The film begins on a high note and builds suspense, especially considering the limited environments the actors are given to work in. As Breslin phones Berry from the trunk of the car, a goose-chase breaks out that stretches across Los Angeles.
This portion of the film is unpredictable. Anderson uses every trick in the book to keep audiences on the edge, and it works very well. Fast cuts, a fast pace and quick dialogue keep the action rolling along.
When the phone call ends and Berry leaves the office to hunt the kidnapper, the film loses its momentum. Eklund’s in-control villain turns into a full psychopath, and watching his actions is uncomfortable. I felt dirty walking out of the movie theater, because the way it was shot. Good taste was thrown aside and the ending was free of fulfillment.
The Call is two-thirds of a suspenseful thriller, but the strange direction at the end soils the qualities that made it special to begin with.