I first saw this last September during it’s theatrical run, but was unsure about reviewing it as it isn’t really a horror movie. After noticing articles on it in various genre mags including Fangoria however, I decided that it deserves to be included as it wasn’t as successful as it should have been.
The story is simple and coincidentally the opposite of writer Larry Cohen’s premise for his other phone film ‘Phone Booth’, as Kim Basinger’s Jessica Martin finds herself kidnapped and held in an attic somewhere with only a broken phone for company. Being that she is a science teacher she manages to fix the phone and make a random call to slacker Ryan (Chris Evans). Ryan assumes that the call is a joke, but he soon learns that if he loses the signal, Jessica loses her life.
The film is well handled by ‘Final Destination 2’ helmer David Ellis, so you can be certain that the car sequences will kick ass if nothing else. The cast are all good and will be familiar to genre fans, and the film is a joy to watch as the action starts almost immediately and never stops to rest, much like it’s funky soundtrack.
There is something distinctly Hitchcockian about the premise, and indeed the look of Kim Basinger’s character and her surroundings, which further highlighted the films horror roots for me.
OVERALL SUMMARY
The film is enjoyable and well played, so I was a little surprised that it didn’t make that much of an impact upon it’s theatrical release. With the film now available to rent and out to buy next week, hopefully it will find it’s audience.
