NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Netflix
    Shah Rukh Khan
    Alia Bhatt
    Salman Khan
    Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranveer Singh
    Amazon Prime Video
    NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / Entertainment News / 'The Call' review: Warping time, revenge, and adrenaline wittily
    Entertainment

    'The Call' review: Warping time, revenge, and adrenaline wittily

    'The Call' review: Warping time, revenge, and adrenaline wittily
    Written by Shubham Dasgupta
    Dec 01, 2020, 11:48 pm 3 min read
    'The Call' review: Warping time, revenge, and adrenaline wittily

    Who doesn't like a sci-fi thriller to make 2020 count? Let's root for the end of the worst year ever with The Call. There are several films with that title, but we're talking about Netflix's November 27 offering here. The artwork resembles acutely to that of Glass and you wonder if it's a Korean rip-off. But thankfully, it isn't, as it shocks your senses.

    The film starts slow, focuses on protagonist's loneliness

    It's a 112 minute-long film with a sluggish start, but focuses on the emptiness of the protagonist instead. Kim Seo-Yeon's hope of saving her mother from a brain tumor is worthless, although she puts up a brave face when her mother dreams of getting herself buried with or beside her husband's grave. The grief overtakes the initial monotony as Seo-Yeon struggles to live happily.

    Seo-yeon reaches her former home, loses phone on the way

    She visits her parents' former home but accidentally loses her phone on the way. Suspecting that someone took it on the train she was in, Seo-Yeon finds an old cordless phone from the storeroom, dials her number to find two men demanding a reward for returning her phone. The phone rings again but someone asks for some Sun-Hee, adding her mom trapped her.

    Alternate timelines in same house, finding Young-Sook from past

    The Call from Oh Young-Sook returns to haunt Seo-Yeon, who keeps pleading for help and says that her stepmother plans to kill her. This puzzles Seo-Yeon, who had found the picture of a girl her age having the timestamp of 1999 recently. She confirms that the girl on the call is the same Young-Sook, and that two timelines and realities are running parallel.

    Seo-Yeon gets greatest surprise ever: Help from the past

    It's unbelievable to Seo-Yeon that someone staying in the same house twenty years before is contacting her through a cordless phone 'in real time'. But there's more to the time-warping sci-fi storyline, as Young-Sook finds that in her timeline, she meets a realtor named Mr Kim, whose young daughter is named Seo-Yeon. The trapped girl lets Seo-Yeon listen to her dead father, alive.

    And then the two bond, but over what or whom?

    If there are two people communicating through alternate timelines, the best way to strike a chord in between is to find a common point of interest. It happens to be a rock artist in The Call whose die-hard fan Young-Sook can't believe that one can watch someone's concert without being physically present. Seo-Yeon helps Young-Sook tape-record that artiste's concert on YouTube. They bond remarkably.

    Deal of a lifetime: Happy family but a missed call

    An impressed Young-Sook pitches the unbelievable idea of saving Seo-Yeong's father in her timeline, now that she knows how Kim died. Young-Sook's success transports Seo-Yeong from the dark present to a bright, sunny morning in the same house where she breaks down seeing her father. Her family starts living happily until Seo-Yeon misses one call from Young-Sook, and that's where director Lee Chung-hyun scores.

    The performances are spot-on, our verdict: 4.5/5

    Once in a blue moon do we find such an unsettling thriller. The Call shocks you all the way till the end credits and the timid, vulnerable yet maddening aura of Jeon Jong-seo, who plays Oh Young-Sook, is wholesome. You can watch The Call for the nth time and still appreciate Park Shin-hye's (Seo-Yeon) desperation. Pay attention, as the film deserves a 4.5/5.

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Latest
    YouTube
    Netflix

    Latest

    Cannes 2023: Sunny Leone makes a lasting first impression Cannes Film Festival
    Cryptocurrency prices: Check today's rates of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Tether Cryptocurrency
    #BoxOfficeCollection: 'The Kerala Story' crosses the Rs. 200 crore mark Box Office Collection
    #BoxOfficeCollection: 'IB71' slows down amid competition Box Office Collection

    YouTube

    #NewsBytesRecommends: 'Popcity' on YouTube—story of eccentric contract killer Movie Review
    JaeJae resigns from SBS but will keep hosting 'MMTG' South Korea
    Song Ji-a is back from hiatus; signs with new agency Netflix
    Pune: Woman loses Rs. 24 lakh after liking YouTube video Pune

    Netflix

    OTT weekend watchlist: 'Kathal' to 'Agent,' binge-watch these new titles OTT releases
    'Kathal' review: Sanya Malhotra-starrer is a well done satirical comedy  Movie Review
    OTT: 'Sex Education' S04 release date, cast details out OTT releases
    Nani's 'Dasara' Hindi OTT release date out OTT releases

    Love Entertainment News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    Entertainment Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023