My Review of When A Stranger Calls (2006)

 

Written by Jake Wade Wall

Directed by Simon West

Jill: "You really scared me, if that's what you wanted. Is that what you wanted?"

The Stranger: "No."

Jill: "What do you want?"

The Stranger: "Your blood all over me."

I reviewed the original, then the sequel and now, it's time to look at the remake. The 2000s were a wild time for horror remakes and reboots. Often a mixed bag and this certainly fell into that category.

The movie opened up with the death of three children and their babysitter, Stacey (Lillie West) and it was a way to set the tone for this remake. Then we cut to the main event itself.

Yes, you've got a teenage Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) hired by Dr Mandrakis (Derek de Lint) and his wife (Kate Jennings Grant) to look after their children. Yes, we've been here before but it's a remake, so there's a few differences.

As the kids were sleeping, Jill's rebellious friend, Tiffany (Katie Cassidy) came to visit, do some binge drinking and the topic of sharing boyfriends creeped into the conversation. Then there was the Stranger (Tommy Flanagan/Lance Henriksen) themselves.

I'll admit that this movie did try to take some interesting turns. Jill initially believed that the oldest Mandrakis kid was playing a prank and then she believed that the maid, Rosa (Rosine Ace Hatem) was messing with her. Of course, it wasn't poor Rosa and soon, the bodies did start to pile up as the Stranger went to town on tormenting Jill.

If the first two movies had time jumps and lagging middle acts, then this one might have had the latter but it was definitely keeping within a specific timeline. I'll admit the back and forth between Jill and the Stranger had it moments. Due to the bigger house, there was a bit variety with the set piece before the Stranger ended up getting caught.

- Some other actors who popped up in this movie included Clark Gregg, Tessa Thompson and Dianna Agron to name a few. 

- A sequel, When A Stranger Returns was supposed to happen but hasn't materialised to this day.

- Standout music: Joe Faraci's Lock It.

- Chronology: 2006, Colorado for the majority of the movie. The opening scene however took place 125 miles elsewhere.

Personally, I thought this version of When A Stranger Calls was just okay. Not as good as the original, mostly on a par with it's sequel and had some decent scare moments. Essentially, it passes the time.

Rating: 6 out of 10