MovieChat Forums > The Caller (1987) Discussion > What a neat little gem of a flick (Read ...

What a neat little gem of a flick (Read this if you haven't seen it yet)


...and read ONLY this. DO NOT go and spoil the ending for yourself like I did before seeing it!

Terrific acting from both leads. Had either of them fallen flat, so would the drama. Thankfully neither of them do. The writing is excellent, the dialogue highly engaging. I feel this kind of script could easily be adapted to stage, and I mean that as a complement. The banter between the two (and ONLY two) actors is razor-sharp, the intrigue at 11 throughout. Directed with exercised restraint for the entire picture. Richard Band's music score is at once chilly and atmospheric, while also having moments of bittersweet melancholy and thematic sweep. And what a great ending. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT go and spoil it for yourself before seeing the film. You'll either love or have the last five minutes or so. I quite loved it for its originality and complete left-field strangeness. Take a little 12 ANGRY MEN, a dash of THE HITCHER, a liberal helping of THE TWILIGHT ZONE at its most intriguing and throw in a little David Mamet sensibilities in the writing department and you have a tight, compact, absorbing and very strange little film. I really thought this was a great example of doing more with less and hope this film someday finds a proper audience.
4 stars out of 5.

reply

I agree!

reply

Hooray!

reply

It's quite an intense little film, isn't it? It feels very much like a stage play until the last five minutes, which feel like nothing I've seen before. Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith have an amazing rapport, sometimes very harmonic and sometimes very tense. I don't think it's a perfect film, but it's certainly entertaining and worthwhile. 7/10 stars from me.

reply