Please do not confuse this with the 2013 crime thriller The Call starring Halle Berry. The Call (2020) is a South Korean film starring Park Shin-hye which based on the 2011 British and Puerto Rican film The Caller.
The Call (2020)
Call (original title)
Directed & Written by Chung-Hyun Lee | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Connected by phone in the same home but 20 years apart, a serial killer puts another woman's past - and life - on the line to change her own fate. THE REVIEW
Just a few seconds into the film, I was slowly captivated by the colours. Yes, it is sad and dull. But there is beauty even though it is a sombre colour palette. Besides that, the transitions are fitting as well. From locating the missing smartphone of our lead character, a Galaxy Note 9 (not sponsored) to be exact, the scene slowly and beautifully transitioned to a brain scan.
Okay, that might be ridiculous to some. But I do love a good transition. And with The Call (2020), it does not end with simple film transitions. There are several as the story shows us various process or periods of changing from one state to another, which are often heartbreaking. The narrative keeps moving and transforming as both our leads do what they need to survive and live the life they deserve.
And we all know this does not always work out. Sure, we can repeatedly change our life or rather what is up ahead as we have the power to plan or retract every decision we make. However, we cannot control external factors nor mould our life according to what we only want. And most importantly, we can not change the past. A truth that is hard for everyone to accept.
Speaking of which this film is not about time travel. No one travels from past to present or vice versa. The Call (2020) focuses more on connecting with the past and then bending reality when one realises she had the upper hand.
This horror mystery thriller is one of those films that work your brain. If you love that kind of genre, I highly recommend The Call (2020). It is one thought-provoking film that will not waste your time.
TIMELINE EXPLAINED
I know you have questions about a certain scene. You just need to pay close attention to the dates and time. They're everywhere on the screen. And though they are set in a different year with years in between, both our characters' fate and timeline are quite connected. Think of it like this - different timeline, same timezone.
What Seo-yeon (Park Shin-Hye) and Young-sook (Jong-Seo Jun) does on each other's side can affect both their lives. The phone, the house and their fates are intertwined. Or, as Young-sook's mother said, "This is happening because of bad feng shui." Honestly, both Seo-yeon and Young-sook have emotional baggage and all of it happened when they were in that house.
Lastly, don't engage too much with strangers, okay?
MAIN PHOTO: Screenshot from IMDb
