film american crime thriller film directed written film stars teenage girl kidnapped serial killer operator suffering emotionally prior receives star story originally envisioned television series later rewrote minute feature film filming began july spanned period days scenes shot los_angeles mainly burbank screening held hosted theater february released theatres weeks later march considered high concept reviewers film proved commercial success grossing million budget million nominated drama bet awards film received generally mixed reviews critics praised performance film suspense plot veteran operator receives night teenage girl thompson fearing life man breaks home jordan advises conceal upstairs disconnected jordan calls decision later costs life ringing phone gives location away jordan attempts dissuade going phone responds hangs leaving distraught day jordan sees television report confirming murdered emotionally affected incident jordan tells boyfriend officer morris chestnut longer handle field calls months later working trainer operators simultaneously teenager kidnapped mall parking garage parting friend autumn forced trunk car taken autumn phone uses rookie operator receives unable handle prompting jordan use phone means exact gps location found drives jordan guides knocking tail light signaling people nearby cars woman sees waving arm trunk car calls allowing police narrow search tells jordan cans paint trunk jordan pour paint hole attracting attention knocks assuming dead trunk trunk begins screaming causes stab stops gas station gets idea crawl trunk scream active worker help worker attempts bust door open gasoline throws lighter arriving destination removes trunk finds phone pocket listening line phone jordan informs identity uncovered advises turn hurt girl smashing phone michael responds jordan realizes michael culprit killed months prior phillips accompanied officer jake law enforcement raid michael home find wife children finding photo michael sister realize resembles additionally house seen photo eventually revealed michael wife burned nearby cottage remains police raid find leave michael begins wash cut hair determined rescue jordan drives secondary home finds number photos michael stricken sister stepping outside recognizes sounds outdoor reminiscent sounds heard background final moments finds trap door amid dirt located primary house stood accidentally drops cellar climbs calling police navigating cellar jordan hides emerging michael cellar pieces michael backstory michael feelings sister distraught fell ill lost hair died foster prop head keeps cellar treats like sister killing young girls similar blond hair trying find match sister hair jordan soon finds chair attacks michael begins manage gradually escape cellar stabs michael pair michael pursues able kick cellar rendering unconscious knocked tie chair regains consciousness inform plan leave die claim escaped found jordan woods michael disappeared pleading leave jordan replies foster words shouts insults locks door death leaves cast production writing casting inspired script story wife heard npr segment operator discussing job began research subject visited finding center backup generators windows moat surrounding building pretty amazing decided shed light viewed previously overlooked occupation story originally television series entitled reference constant calls conversations sounding like bees decided film realizing operators couldn ones kicking doors going field time result planned pilot episode expanded revised movie film character turner operator stay inside actively involved search character kidnapped chose female leads explaining wanted strong women think appropriate operators women remarked love idea movie empowering women don play roles like ordinary people heroic extraordinary chose tell story perspective characters operator believing repetitive focused result switched perspectives pages writing screenplay collaborating story wife accepted suggestions came great notes michael started flesh things great suggested line dialogue makes look better writer feel collaborative process accidents happen listen people comes says don way think important listen chestnut plays phillips police officer turner boyfriend prepared riding los_angeles police officers observe like officer squad car prepared role visiting center observing operators work told interviewer different perspective research know like cop seen movies saw center thought lived ground interesting deal wreck watching cool thing thought job filming producers scheduled filmed canada june failed cut california tax credit low budget million settled ottawa ontario director anderson finished project called months later informed waiting list largely cleared qualified million tax according producer literally days starting deposit reportedly pleased news having wanted stay los_angeles helped secure film locations project crew roughly persons filming took total days spanning july august car chase scenes shot office building modeled emergency dispatch center scenes locked trunk car filming locations include boulevard burbank california california point rushed falling concrete shooting fight sequence spokesperson confirmed suffered minor head injury taken hospital precaution checked healthy released told interviewer hard try stay connected phillips grant writes spend entire day reading pages dialogue quick succession operator cut edited fit film film terms means performed minutes straight breaks easy feat actor enjoyed working chestnut told grant difficult unable stars film constant challenge stay emotional level jordan level officer phillips feeling frustration stuck fuel character promotion release spanning minutes completion movie received rating violence disturbing content language chestnut promoted film movie theater red carpet premiere chicago february traveled rio promote anticipation april release brazil hosted screening south beach theater february chestnut told audience sign sequel saying didn kiss woman added movie scared film released theatres march dvd june year dvd extras included entitled emergency procedure making film commentary filmmakers blu ray version came features including deleted scenes alternate ending audition tape entitled set tour inside stunts original dvd content reception box office according expected earn million opening weekend theaters united_states surpassed significant margin grossed million days indicated good profits film cost million produce paid smaller acquire distribution rights box office million wwe studios commercially successful film date previous grossing productions evil stars professional wrestler kane million rounds stars professional wrestler john_cena million critics surprised movie success hadn hit number years rating narrowed audience head commented exceeded optimistic forecasts critical response received mixed reviews critics having overall film rating review aggregator rotten_tomatoes based reviews consensus builds plenty suspense taking problematic turn act entertainment_weekly gave film rating saying tale surprisingly good surprisingly fun makes role sympathetic victim similarly metacritic film review aggregator gave movie based reviews wrote script gives blue collar character accessible vulnerable chestnut suitably caring lover cop mission film lot think going new_york_times wrote effectively creepy thriller operator young miss model low budget filmmaking praised clean clever premise said jordan old fashioned hero respects fitting anderson uses old fashioned filmmaking techniques like build tension old school exploitation tricks like evil justify taking story dark dark reviewer news commented director working simple high concept screenplay cuts increasingly emotionally attached contrasting turner frantic police pursuit stated shallow thrill ride efficiently typical don moments concluded rudimentary old fashioned minute escape manages achieve low ambitions rating film stars writes film manages build suspense trunk clever attempts help cell phone deficiencies action turns road showed mixed feelings review rare thriller goes completely utterly wrong precisely hour mark crying shame hour book kidnapping moore explained saw highs lows turns serial killer hunt real edge seat thriller given half decent tale horror guilt problem solving redemption anderson couldn far wrong moore states oscar winning heroine puts phone sets turning far generic far exciting los_angeles_times turned similar review semi fresh thriller set mainly emergency center freeways los_angeles puts tech slant distress setup promising plot innovations inviting suspension disbelief numbers line goes dead accolades nominated awards role turner nominated bet awards created network celebrate african americans minorities music acting sports fields entertainment past year lost role nominated drama teen choice awards lost film nominated 40th saturn awards nominated saturn award best actress lost world war possible sequel head confirmed possibility sequel new information released announcement
The Call (2013 film)