THE CALL (2020)

 

(Director: Timothy Woodward Jr. Screenwriter: Patrick Stibbs.)

Storyline

October 1987. After the woman they’ve been prank-terrorizing commits suicide, they inherit her money. When they come to claim it, her husband tells her they’ll get it immediately─but first each of them must make a phone call.

 

Review

CALL is an initially solid, interesting story that melds Leigh Whannell and James Wan’s SAW (2004) and Wes Craven’s A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) within a 1980s, EC Comics-style revenge tale.

The first third of the film is solid and entertaining, with a strong set-up and fresh elements (kids inheriting a witch’s wealth). It is bolstered by tight editing, a concise screenplay and a synth-driven soundtrack (courtesy of Samuel Joseph Smythe) that recalls the work of John Carpenter. One of the elements that elevates CALL from being a waste of time is its excellent players: the key actors, especially horror veterans Lin Shaye (DEAD END, 2003) and Tobin Bell (the SAW franchise), keep CALL semi-interesting even as the storyline devolves into visually solid but not particularly scary genre tropes, with CALL becoming a series of ELM STREET-esque, surreal mindfrak scenarios, customized terror-mazes for the teenagers. All the while, Edith’s angry-but-restrained husband (Edward, played by Bell) lurks elsewhere in the house. Bell, like Shaye, is especially fun and scary in his role, channeling the dangerous, soft-spoken undertones of his iconic Jigsaw character, mixed with the sorrow of a grieving spouse.

CALL is not a bad movie, it’s just disappointing. It has so much going for it: good overall filmmaking (with the feel and editing of a waste-no-time-or-footage 1980s video gem); great acting by its principal actors; a memorable storyline (in its first third). What brings it down is its too-familiar head-trip hell-mazes (thoroughly strip-mined of its scary veins by the ELM STREET franchise) and its ending, which─even with its twists─makes the prankster’s punishment feel too fated, almost pointless.

You might enjoy this if you keep your expectations low. If you’re a fan of Shaye and Bell, who consistently shine in their work, this might also be worthwhile. Not only that, CALL‘s filmmakers’ impressive capabilities and love for 1980s video B-movies imbues the film with a nostalgic feel even when its fright-cliched events make it less-than-viewer-involving.

THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)

 

(Director/screenwriter: Leigh Whannell)

Storyline

Cecilia’s tyrannical ex kills himself and leaves her his wealth. She thinks his suicide is a hoax, a way to get her back. As events unfold, Cecilia─perceived as overwrought by others─struggles to reveal her ex’s sly and cruel plot.

 

Review

This excellent, every-shot-matters and occasional-gore thriller is one of my favorite 2020 films. Part of the reason for this is the superb acting, especially on the part of lead actress Elizabeth Moss (MAD MEN, 2007-15) who effectively embodies the trauma and eventual hope of a long-suffering abuse victim (Cecilia Cass). Cinematographers Stefan Duscio (UPGRADE, 2018, also directed and scripted by Whannell) and Daniel Grant maintain the cold, dark-tint-contrasted-with-antiseptic-brightness look that adds to the relentless, steady-build-up, psychologically intense mood of the film. Unlike UPGRADE, an underrated technology-themed thriller, INVISIBLE (rightfully) was a critical and box office hit, one that rings true to its themes of abuse, human nature, and technology. Its end-shot echoes the style of Alfred Hitchcock’s dramatic character-in-the-foreground scenes, while Benjamin Wallfisch’s score─in this scene Bernard Herman-esque─heightens the emotional rollercoaster of INVISIBLE. Great film, this.