The Call | |
---|---|
Hangul | 콜 |
Revised Romanization | Kol |
Directed by | Lee Chung-hyun |
Written by | Lee Chung-hyun |
Based on | The Caller by Sergio Casci |
Produced by | Syd Lim Jeong Hui-sun |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Jo Young-jik |
Edited by | Yang Jin-mo |
Music by | Dalpalan |
Production company | Yong Film |
Distributed by | Next Entertainment World Netflix |
Release date |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
Country | South Korea |
Language | Korean |
The Call (Korean: 콜; RR: Kol), is a 2020 South Korean science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Lee Chung-hyun, starring Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo. Based on the 2011 British and Puerto Rican film The Caller, The Call revolves around Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) and Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo), two women from different times who connect through a phone call that interchanges their fates. The film was originally going to be released theatrically but cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] It was released on Netflix globally on November 27, 2020.[1]
In 2019, 28-year-old Kim Seo-yeon visits her sick, estranged mother, Eun-ae, in a rural area. Arriving at her rundown childhood home, she finds a decades-old cordless phone, and through it receives calls from a distressed woman who says she's being tortured by her mother. After investigating the house, she figures out that the woman on the phone, Oh Young-sook, is living in the same house but in 1999. The two are able to communicate across time through the phone, and get to know each other. Young-sook is orphaned and lives with her adoptive mother, who is a shaman, while Seo-yeon lost her father in 1999 due to a fire she blames her mother for.
Young-sook, acting on information from Seo-yeon, sneaks out to prevent the fire that killed Seo-yeon's father. She is successful, and Seo-yeon's reality changes: her parents are both alive and healthy, and their house is lavish. Young-sook, however, is punished by her mother, and becomes resentful that Seo-yeon's life improved while hers is the same.
Seo-yeon learns online that Young-sook was killed by her mother during an exorcism. She warns Young-sook, who saves herself; her mother explains that she must kill her, as her fortune reveals multiple deaths. She kills her mother, who, it turns out, was right: now freed, Young-sook becomes a serial killer. Seo-yeon realizes what has happened when Young-sook's victims disappear in the present day. During a phone call, she inadvertently reveals that Young-sook will be arrested.
In 1999, Young-sook is visited by 8-year-old Seo-yeon and her father, who have come to the house to close their purchase of it. She kills Seo-yeon's father and takes young Seo-yeon captive. In 2019, Seo-yeon's reality changes again: her father is dead and the house in even worse condition. Young-sook tells Seo-yeon to find out how she'll be arrested. Seo-yeon feeds her false information, but when she threatens to kill Eun-ae next, Seo-yeon breaks into the local police station for the notebook used in 1999. Young-sook taunts that they're the same when she reveals that it was Seo-yeon who caused the fire that originally killed her father; she had lied about Eun-ae being responsible.
Seo-yeon gives Young-sook the correct information, and her reality changes again: the house is now owned by an older Young-sook, who has continued as a serial killer. The content of the notebook changes as well, with a note that Eun-ae came to the house with a police officer. Seo-yeon waits in the house and warns the 1999 Eun-ae of Young-sook.
In 1999, Young-sook kills the police officer and chases Eun-ae. In 2019, older Young-sook similarly chases Seo-yeon. Eun-ae seemingly sacrifices herself to protect little Seo-yeon and kill Young-sook, and 2019 changes again, with the house becoming derelict and old Young-sook disappearing. Seo-yeon is reunited with Eun-ae, who is alive and well, albeit with scars.
In a mid-credit scene, older Young-sook calls her younger counterpart to warn her about Eun-ae and the police officer, allowing Young-sook to alter her own history. This results in the erasure of Eun-ae from present day Seo-yeon's side. The scene cuts to the torture room, where a person tied to a chair is screaming for help. It is a frightened adult Seo-yeon, once again a captive of Young-sook.
Principal photography began on January 3, 2019, and wrapped on April 2, 2019.[4]
On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[5]
Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
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2021 | 57th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actress (Film) | Jeon Jong-seo | Won | [6] |
Best New Director | Lee Chung-hyun | Nominated | |||
30th Buil Film Awards | Nominated | [7][8] | |||
Best Actress | Jeon Jong-seo | Won | |||
15th Asian Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [9][10] | ||
26th Chunsa Film Art Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [11] | ||
Best New Director | Lee Chung-hyun | Nominated | |||
42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards | Nominated | ||||
Best Actress | Jeon Jong-seo | Nominated | |||
2022 | 20th Director's Cut Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
Best New Actress | Nominated | ||||
Best New Director | Lee Chung-hyun | Nominated |