The Call
Directed by Lee Chung-hyun
- thriller
- mystery
- science fiction
The story
Connected by phone in the same home but 20 years apart, a caller puts a woman’s past — and life — on the line to change her own fate.
What it’s like
Cool blue night-time interiors punctuated by warm lamplight, a family house that feels lived-in and then slowly unsettling, and phone screens casting pale glow across faces. The Call moves at a tense, relentless clip, with close, handheld-leaning framing that keeps the audience pressed against its characters and a synth-tinged score that pulses under the quieter moments of dread. Its mood is anxious and feverish, with an undercurrent of grief and dread, suited to a late night alone when you want something gripping rather than restful. The emotional register is intense: two women across two decades, bound by a single line, slowly confronting old damage and the cost of trying to rewrite it. Violence is present and sometimes sharp, including a serial-killer thread and moments of cruelty and peril, with bloodshed that lands more as shock than lingering gore. It is for viewers who enjoy time-slip thrillers, unnerving mysteries, and emotionally charged genre stories, and not a good fit for anyone seeking something gentle.
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