The Caller
Starring: Rachelle Lefevre, Stephen Moyer, Lorna Raver
Director: Matthew Parkhill
Rating: 3.5/5
Now I don’t know about you but when it comes to horror movies I can’t abide all that torture porn rubbish - something that seems to have been thrown at us left, right and centre of late.
So it’s great to see that filmmaker Matthew Parkhill has instead made a chilling psychological thriller that is full of mystery and suspension rather than just a growing body count.
When Mary, a troubled divorcee, begins to receive mysterious phone calls from an unknown caller, she quickly begins to feel haunted in her own home.
Over time, she discovers the identity of the caller, and they begin a friendship.
However, after the caller claims to be from the past, Mary begins to question her new friend's motives.
Yes at last here we have a horror movie that has some substance to it as well as some serious chills and great twists and turns.
A movie that is 60% phone call may not sound all that terrifying but it is these scenes that really are some of the most powerful and that is thanks to the superb performances from Rachelle Lefevre and Lorna Raver, a character that we never see.
It’s not often that you see such a strong female character in genre movies but Lefevre is superbly cast and she gives an emotional, tortured and terrified performance as Mary, who struggles to comprehend what is happening to her.
It’s also great to see Stephen Moyer move into a different role that we are use to seeing him in True Blood and the pair have a really genuine chemistry that works beautifully.
Parkhill has used Mary’s apartment well as it creates a real claustrophobic feel to the movie and there really is that air of menace around every corner.
But the director plays on a fear that everyone had - not being safe in your own home - and that just cranks the tension up even further.
Cleverly Parkhill leads the audience to decide how to interpret the movie is all this really happening to Mary or is it all in her imagination as she battles against an abusive ex-husband?
This is a gritty looking movie there is no sheen or polish to it - which just adds even more to the dark and menacing atmosphere.
This is a good old fashioned horror movie where it is just more about the bumps and bangs rather than how much blood you spill and the number of bodies you pile up.
This is a great little horror movie that is very effective in building tension and unease - throw in some great performances from that cast and you have a very good movie.
The Caller is out on DVD now. Read our interview with director Matthew Parkhill here
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw