Who payed the critics

An Exercise In Nonsense

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

The atmosphere was resonant and intriguing in the introduction, with the vibrant atmosphere of the fair injecting some much needed originality into the film. However from this point I found the film dull and uninspiring due to a flat story line, poor script, bland and repetitive cinematography and amateurish acting. The tension was incredibly forced seemingly inspired by the 'aspiring director's handbook for crappy tension' which used all the cliché tricks such as stumbling for keys meant to create suspense, but I kinda found it laughable instead – this was repeated for most the movie. The plot build up seemed to lead nowhere leaving me disappointed at the not so climactic climax. Even though the movie was only 90 minutes it seemed to drag on and on because of the nothingness story. However, the chosen locations are to be praised as they invoke a feeling of hopelessness and isolation mirrored by the character.I wouldn't really recommend it, unless you are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for horror films. I guess it's a pretty good comedy if you like screaming cliché at the top of your lungs like I do.

There are some movies that, when you move past a certain age, you really struggle getting into the drama/suspense of the plot and characters. "When A Stranger Calls" is exactly that kind of movie.For a basic plot summary, this film sees babysitter Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) terrorized by a mysterious caller who won't seem to leave her alone. As the calls keep coming in, Jill gets progressively creeped out and decides to take action.Like I said in the opening, the trouble with this movie is that once you are over about 15-16 years of age, the suspense themes of the film will no longer truly creep you out. Simply put, this is a "tween" flick through and through, as there really isn't enough "real" suspense to suck in those who have seen these types of efforts before.The other dramatic problem with "Stranger" is how they deal with Jill's antagonist. Instead of leaving anything to mystery, pretty much the whole scenario of what will happen is laid out in the film's opening scene. A bit more mystery might have been the way to suck in those viewers who aren't necessarily enraptured by the "babysitter in peril" angle.Overall, then, "When A Stranger Calls" is a below-average effort in the suspense genre, doing just enough to avoid a dismal rating. If you want any enjoyment from it at all, watch it with a young or pre-teen. Otherwise, this one can easily be skipped.

A case of a remake being better than the original!! I hated the 1979 version!! I thought this version was scarier and a lot more entertaining! I like Camilla Belle as the star of the film. No it's not a classic "gem" of a movie, but it's a pretty good popcorn flick on a Friday or Saturday night. Its filled with constant suspense from beginning to end. Overall, when a stranger calls (2006) gets a rating of 7/10 for being entertaining fun and suspenseful! There have been a lot worse remakes, trust me on that. So don't be suede by the negative reviews, take my advice and check it out for yourself! You might like, you might not, but just check it out.

This is a nicely done thriller about Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle), who is being forced to babysit at a three-story house all by herself. Later, the phone rings and a stranger on the other end makes odd remarks. After Jill calls the police to trace the call, she discovers that the calls were coming from inside the house. Therefore, Jill attempts to make a mad dash to the door with the children, hoping to escape the threat before it gets her.The actors provided a serious performance, giving enough drama and suspense to make the horror film watchable and believable. The scenes with the stranger's voice over the phone, Jill and the kids running to hide themselves from danger, and the suspense making you wonder where in the house the stranger is lurking in all make this movie one thrilling ride and certainly will keep you intrigued throughout. The film's elements is almost like a mixture of "Scream" and "Panic Room" combined; it is a little predictable, but nonetheless, entertaining.Grade B-