The Call (2020) - Korean

You really have to make sure you tag this movie as Korean... otherwise, you might get mixed up with that American flick with the exact same title that came out this year. I actually started watching the wrong one first! I realized pretty quickly it wasn't what I was looking for—you could just tell from the very first scene that it was a dud, plus the actors weren't even Korean. 🙂

But this The Call? That’s a whole different ballgame. Literally.

Since I wasted time on the wrong movie initially, I wasn't really feeling up to watching the actual one right away... but I figured it's about time we get a thread going! Just in case anyone else watches it soon and wants to chat. And hey, maybe we should try not to spoil everything in the very first post, right?

Here's the gist: Two women from totally different time periods end up communicating over the phone because they share similar fates. That's basically all I know, which is why it sounds super intriguing and promising to me...

Now, for my actual thoughts after finishing it.

I guess I actually enjoyed the movie. 👍
I suppose you just have to overlook certain "minor details," like how the local police department is completely useless and seemingly indifferent while people are getting killed right under their noses. 😁

+edit: honestly, the movie probably should have ended with a mother and daughter reuniting at a gravesite, instead of this whole messy sequence where the psycho killer talks to themselves on the phone and then goes after the mother alone, which just feels like it overcomplicates everything .

Once again, the Koreans prove they’re in a league of their own when it comes to creative madness!

The movie follows two young women. One is living in 1999, the other in 2019. They both live in the exact same house—and get this—they can hear each other every single day through the phone... even though they're stuck in different decades! Now, look, the film never actually explains how or why this is happening. It doesn't clarify what connects them enough to bridge a twenty-year gap like that. Don't go hunting for answers to those questions because you won't find them; you just have to surrender to the vibe and the sheer insanity of the plot.

The Koreans are famous for mashing genres together, and this flick is no exception. It kicks off like a sci-fi drama about what seems to be a warm, heartfelt friendship between two lonely girls, but halfway through? A massive twist hits and it pivots into a psychological horror thriller where this intense game of cat and mouse starts playing out.

It's incredibly original and imaginative. It grabs you from the jump and keeps you hooked, while that killer horror atmosphere keeps you right on the edge of your seat. Both leads are great, but I was honestly more blown away by John-seo June—she already caught my eye with that supporting role she had in Burning, but here? She’s just phenomenal, especially in the second half when she basically owns every single scene and frame!!

The ending feels a bit messy, I guess, but it leaves the door open for a sequel, which would be awesome since an idea this unique deserves its own horror franchise.

8/10

P. S. SPOILER ALERT!!!!

That main girl really got on my nerves. No matter how much of a "friend" her companion was, she helped her unconditionally, cleaned up her messes, and brought her father back into her life—but the second she needed help herself, she just got ghosted. Honestly, good riddance to her after what happened to her mom.

wiredskipper I can't even begin to explain this... it’s just one of those things, you know? Like, you think you have a handle on how things work—you really do—and then suddenly, everything just shifts under your feet. It's wild. I was sitting there thinking about it, just staring at the wall, wondering if anyone else feels this weird sense of deja vu lately. Is it just me? Probably. But still. Anyway, what Steven Newman50 was saying earlier actually hit home for me—it really did. It makes you realize that most of what we take for granted is just... well, it's fragile. You look at these massive institutions, these huge companies like ExxonMobil, and you think they're untouchable, right? But man, they aren't. Everything is a bit more precarious than we like to admit. It’s kind of like when you’re driving through Chicago and you think you know exactly which lane you need to be in to catch your exit, but then some guy in a Ford F-150 cuts you off out of nowhere—total chaos, right? That’s basically life. Just constant little adjustments. I mean, why does it have to be so complicated? We should be able to just... exist without all these layers of nonsense. But I guess that's asking too much from the universe, isn't it?

+edit: the movie really should have wrapped up with that spoiler...So, I was just thinking about that whole scene where the mother and daughter meet up at the grave... and honestly? It’s just wild. You've got this absolute psycho killer talking to themselves on the phone—I mean, really, who does that?—and then they go ahead and murder the mother right after. It’s like, why even bother? Just complicating everything for no reason. Seriously, what is the point of all that extra drama if you're just going to mess up the whole plan?**

I don't know, I just can't get behind that idea. Honestly? A cemetery scene at the end would be such a cliché—just your typical Hollywood blockbuster "happy ending" that everyone sees coming from a mile away. This way they did it... it’s just better. It actually sticks with you, you know? It leaves a much heavier impression than some predictable, feel-good wrap-up ever could.

What if... just what if one single phone call could ripple through time, messing with both the past and the future? It’s such a wild premise, really... and the way it wraps up in this dark, gritty horror style makes you think that maybe some things are better left untouched. Just leave well enough alone, you know?...

I mean, life is already tragic enough on its own! Some things can only be delayed, while others might just spiral out of control and turn into something way worse than anything we could have ever imagined...

So, about the movie... Honestly? It was good! I walked away feeling pretty satisfied. It keeps you hooked and the concept is super intriguing, even if it didn't quite hit me with that massive "wow" factor I was looking for.

It’s a solid watch and clearly well-directed, but let’s be honest—it isn't exactly breaking new ground or offering anything groundbreaking... The tension stays high enough that most people won't find themselves bored, I suppose.
There are two massive plot holes in the script that just don't sit right with me: firstly, the way Young-Sook wakes up toward the end after falling from the catwalk, and then somehow, despite being completely devastated, she manages to evade the police entirely... she lives in that same house for twenty years without anyone ever catching her. It’s just such a bizarre lack of interest from the police regarding a serial killer.
And then there's Seo-yeon, who just decides to break into a police station in the middle of the night like it's nothing. 🤔