One Missed Call (2008)

"Solid cast, easy pace...  Arrow in the Head
"...Valette demonstrates considerable assurance maintaining suspense...  Dennis Harvey, Variety

Editor's Note In the tradition of THE RING, THE GRUDGE, DARK WATER, and PULSE, ONE MISSED CALL is yet another moody Japanese ghost story to be adapted for American screens. Originally made by cult director Takashi Miike in 2003 from Yasushi Akimoto's novel CHAKUSHIN ARI, this American version retains the elements that are sure to please J-Horror fans--jerky apparitions, ghostly children, desperate messages from beyond the grave, possessed electronic devices, and strong female characters. While this remake, which is the debut English-language film from French director Eric Valette, dispenses with some of the freakiness of Miike's version, the creepiness remains. Shannon Sossamon is Beth, a developmental psychology student who has plenty of cause for concern after her friend Leann (Azura Skye) receives a panicked cell phone message from herself days in the future. After Leann falls in front of a train at the same date and time on the message, Beth suspects that she may be next. Beth's fear seems even more justified after her friend Taylor (Ana Claudia Talancon) befalls a similar fate as her phone message is being investigated by a reality TV host (Ray Wise) who specializes in unexplained phenomena. With the help of police chief Jack Andrews (Ed Byrnes), Beth discovers a link between the calls and a deceased mother and daughter. A slow burning ghost tale, ONE MISSED CALL establishes a mood of creepiness before the opening credits and sustains it right through to the conclusion. Instead of major shocks or gore, we're given subtle glimpses of ghostly figures or slightly distorted faces that are effective in creating unease. Sossamon makes a pleasing heroine, and the always excellent Wise makes the most of his small role. Almost old-fashioned in its restraint, the film is a good candidate for family viewing--and spooky enough to give all but the most jaded horror fan goose bumps.

	Ana Claudia Talancon
	Azura Skye
	Edward Burns
	Johnny Lewis
	Margaret Cho
	Meagan Good
	Ray Wise
	Shannyn Sossamon
	Andrew Klavan - Screenplay
	Christina Ann Wilson - Art Director
	Eric Valette - Director
	Glen MacPherson - Cinematographer
	Johnny Klimek - Original Music By
	Lauren Weissman - Producer
	Laurence Bennett - Production Designer
	Minako Daira - Based On Screenplay By
	Reinhold Heil - Original Music By
	Steve Mirkovich - Editor
	Timothy M. Bourne - Executive Producer
	Yasushi Akimoto - Based On Novel By

ReelViews 5 of 10
One Missed Call is yet another PG-13 horror movie adapted from a Japanese source. Taken in concert with The Ring, one has to wonder if these productions illustrate some subconscious fear of technology felt by the Japanese. First, they're being menaced by video tapes. Now, it's cell phones. What's next: The Blu-Ray ghost? One Missed Call starts out with an intriguing premise then ruins it by trying to build a story around it that explains too much. Of course, the more exposition it delivers, the sillier the entire thing becomes until it collapses under its own weight. This is the kind of concept that cries out for atmosphere and existentialism, not gratuitous "boo!" moments and endless shots of people crawling around in dark spaces with a flashlight...The worst part about this movie is that, even though it's impossible to piece everything together logically, it's easy to see where it's going because there's nothing new here. There's a sameness to all these Japanese-turned-American retreads. No matter how obtuse the storyline is and how uninteresting the characters are, the formula must be adhered to. The result is uninspired and painfully familiar. Based on the recent decline in box office for this sub-genre, there's reason to hope the fad may be dying out. If One Missed Call isn't another nail in the coffin, it tries hard to be one. - James Berardinelli