One Missed Call (2008) Movie Review
Written By: DEMM
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Eric Valette
Producer: Timothy M. Bourne, Noam Dromi, et. al.
Screenwriters: Andrew Klavan, Yasushi Akimoto, et. al.
Date released: January 04, 2008
Cast:
Shannyn Sossamon as Beth Raymond
Edward Burns as Jack Andrews
Ana Claudia Talancón as Taylor Anthony
Ray Wise as Ted Summers
Azura Skye as Leann Cole
Johnny Lewis as Brian Sousa
Jason Beghe as Ray Purvis
Margaret Cho as Mickey Lee
Meagan Good as Shelley Baum
Rhoda Griffis as Marie Layton
Dawn Dininger as Monster Marie
Rating: 2.5/ 5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
One Missed Call (2008) is about Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) witnessing the death of her friends. One by one, they received a strange phone call foretelling them about how and when each one of them dies. As Beth seeks justice for the death of her friends, she meets Detective Jack (Edward Burns) who also had the same sentiments about her sister’s death. Together they unravel this mystery to find an answer and to put an end to the chain of cursed calls.
Gore Factor
Surprisingly, there wasn’t single blood seen in this movie. The violent scenes in this movie did not involve a splatter of blood. Like the scene where a steel bar went through Brian’s (Johnny Lewis) body because of the explosion in the nearby construction causing him death. Also when Lean (Azura Skye) got hit by the train after she fell from the overpass bridge. It was a pretty gruesome incident but there wasn’t any trace of blood in her body.
The Grave Review
The film is a remake from a Japanese supernatural horror film based on the novel Chakushin Ari written by Yasushi Akimoto. The plot basically revolves around the story of Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) and her group of friends who were a victim of a cursed phone call that tells them their date and time of death. Beth noticed the same pattern in her friends’ death, so she had a theory that it might be linked to each other. Then she met and found an ally in the persona of Detective Jack (Edward Burns), who also thought that there was an underlying connection between these deaths. Together they tried to solve the mystery behind the curse.
One Missed Call (2008) would have been a great movie if only the plot had a more plausible, creative, and terror impact. Some of the scenes were too ordinary and cliché for a horror film. There were a few irrelevant scenes as well. One example is Beth’s flashback memory of her childhood. I find it completely unrelated as it does not show any connection to the film’s plot. For me it was just an obvious attempt to add drama in the film. Throughout the film, it was quite noticeable how tedious the story was. There were only very few surprises as the movie went along but most of the parts were very predictable. Another frustrating factor about this film was that there was no concrete explanation as to why the calls were cursed. Though most Japanese horror films are known to have less explanation when it comes to the story, I still think it did not justify the whole point of the film’s plot.
When it comes to the characters and acting aspect, the actors/actresses in this film were able to play their respective roles in the film. Although I must admit, their acting skills were not powerful. There was not much of a character development in the story, especially on the protagonist’s part. Her facial expression towards every scary encounter is weak. She was not able to get over her trauma from her childhood, but there was a hint of forgiveness when she did not rip up her mother’s letter. On the other hand, Ana Claudia Talancon’s death scene acting was somehow convincing. She clearly had a good exposure in that scene.
For the special effects and cinematography, it’s frustrating how this movie had poor CGI effects. And most of the death scenes lack creativity. There was no blood despite the morbidity. And the sound effects were too mainstream.
Overall, One Missed Call (2008) is just an ordinary horror film of the century. It may not be as good as some remake movies that made a mark in the film industry, but it surely has a great message that good always prevails above all evil things. It’s suitable for people of all ages. This movie can pass as family friendly despite a few scary scenes.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives One Missed Call (2008) two and one-half graves out of five graves.
Do you agree with our review? Comment below.
Join the Conversation