Don't pick up the phone.
The Lowdown: A good horror film is hard to come by. American horror films have steadily decreased in quality over the years, and I’ve resorted to watching the classics over and over. But I’m wearing them out now, so I need something new. Unfortunately, most modern commercial horror films tend to be mediocre, and the B-movie bargain bin at the local Walmart doesn’t fare much better. As a last resort, I dug through that, hoping to find something even remotely new and interesting. That is where I discovered The Caller, a hidden gem amongst all the crap out there. It is a startlingly effective horror film that delivers the tension and the fright, two things that have been sorely lacking from horror films as of late. The best part? The Caller is a hybrid of classic psychological horror and, get this, time-travel. Now you’re intrigued.1. The Plot: Mary (Rachelle LeFevre) is having a life full of struggles. She has been recently divorced from her abusive, misogynistic husband, although he still often stops by to terrorize her. As a result, she has moved into an old apartment with one of those old-fashioned rotary telephones. One night, she receives a call from an old woman named Rose asking for "Bobby". Mary assures Rose that there is no one by that name at the apartment, but Rose doesn't believe her. As the days pass, Mary continues to receive more and more calls from Rose, but it soon comes to light that Rose is calling from the past. Mary tries to break contact, but Rose doesn't take this well and begins to exact a cruel and bizarre revenge. It is therefore up to Mary to thwart Rose's sinister plans.
Dammit! Didn't I say DON'T pick up the phone???
2. The Characters: Instead of an ensemble cast of useless, cardboard teenagers that have a combined total of zero personality, The Caller focuses almost entirely on one main character. Mary, portrayed effectively by Rachelle LeFevre, leads a weary life. Her nasty divorce with her douchebag husband (Ed Quinn) has forced her to move away. She is also struggling to get her life back together by taking community college courses. LeFevre provides a subdued performance that is convincing, and also provides a nice contrast when Rose begins to make her life a living hell. All of the other characters in the film are supporting ones. Luis Guzman (The Last Stand) is George, the gardener at Mary's new apartment complex. His character is the one that knows about the happenings in the apartment, and reaffirms Mary's suspicions that something is up. Stephen Moyer is John Guidi, a community college professor who finds himself attracted to Mary. He gets dragged into this entire mess involving Rose and the creepy time-traveling calls. Lastly, there is Rose, played by Lorna Raver. Rose is only heard, not seen, throughout the entire film. The lack of her presence makes all of the events occurring throughout the film that much more chilling. What you can't see is always scarier than what you can see, and it really is surprising how disturbing and suspenseful the film becomes as Rose becomes an increasingly sinister presence.3. Time-Travel: Isn't that an intriguing concept? Time-travel in a horror film? You don't see that often, and here, it makes for a unique experience. Many films have explored the idea of time-travel, such as 12 Monkeys, Back to the Future, Looper, Déja Vu, Groundhog Day, and Primer. Each film has devised its own time-travel logic, some of which can be incredibly convoluted. If there is one thing that can be agreed on however, it is that time-travel can indeed have horrifying implications. The Caller keeps the time-travel logic simple and effective by never going too in-depth about the fine details. The downside however, is that The Calleralmost entirely rips off Déja Vu's time-travel logic, especially in one key scene. If you've seen both films, then you'll know what I'm talking about. However, there is one important key change in The Caller's logic that makes the film work so much better. While it may open up plot holes and spark debate, it makes the creepy consequences much more effective and chilling.
The Bottom Line: The Caller is a horribly underrated and overlooked gem that is creepier than about 90% of all films calling themselves "horror films". The concept of the film alone is worth the price of the DVD: time-travel meets horror. It is both fascinating and freaky at the same time.
The Caller is property of Alcove Entertainment, Head Gear Films, and Pimienta. This review was written by me.
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