One Missed Call is a bad movie. It doesn’t deserve much more than that. As a remake of Asian horror film Chakushin ari, there’s not a lot to live up to in the first place. However, this mess can’t even nail the basics.
The ridiculous concept has people dying, and then calling a friend after their death with the date the friend will die. The cycle continues until boredom sets in. The few minor deaths are PG-13 all the way, hardly hitting the scare factor horror movies should be aiming for. One Missed Call is more creepy than horror.
Much of the plot is lost in the American translation. The ending is baffling and confusing. The killer has no motive that one can see. Killer cell phones require a little narrative to actually work, and One Missed Call doesn’t even get that right. Don’t pick up the phone, just don’t do anything regarding this film at all.
Hilarious, over the top dialogue is constant and laughable. It might have worked with the usual array of generic high school kids, but when you plop everyone into a college setting, you need to put some effort into this if you want it taken seriously. The few special effects sequences are cringe worthy, particularly one late of a baby.
This marks Eric Valette’s first English film, and next on his slate is the horror video game adaptation of Clock Tower. If his horror directing skills are any indication, don’t hype yourself up even if you’re a fan. One Missed Call is a total bust. [xrr rating=1/5 label=Movies]
The film comes to Blu-ray in a sharp, nicely handled transfer. Color is soft and natural, never overblown. A faint layer of grain is visible and intact. Details are excellent, though can run flat in certain shots, sometimes even between cuts. Black levels are consistent and solid. [xrr rating=4/5 label=Video]
Loaded with a TrueHD track, the disc has a few opportunities to show off. The opening features hefty explosions, and a thunderstorm near the end is also exceptional in filling the surrounds. A few decent scares are evident in certain attempts at horror, though it’s hardly demo-worthy. [xrr rating=3/5 label=Audio]
Warner provides absolutely nothing in terms of extras. You can’t even select audio options until the movie starts. The main menu is a single option to start the film. [xrr rating=0/5 label=Extras]
Matt Paprocki
Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com. You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki.