When a Stranger Calls | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Simon West |
Written by | Jake Wade Wall |
Based on | When a Stranger Calls by Steve Feke and Fred Walton |
Produced by | John Davis Wyck Godfrey Ken Lemberger |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Peter Menzies Jr. |
Edited by | Jeff Betancourt |
Music by | James Dooley |
Production companies | TeleStranger Productions, Inc. [1] |
Distributed by | Screen Gems [2] (through Sony Pictures Releasing [1] ) |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $15 million [2] |
Box office | $67.1 million [2] |
When a Stranger Calls is a 2006 American psychological horror film directed by Simon West and written by Jake Wade Wall. The film stars Camilla Belle, Brian Geraghty, Katie Cassidy and Clark Gregg. Belle plays a babysitter who starts to receive threatening phone calls from an unidentified stranger, played by both Tommy Flanagan and Lance Henriksen. It is a remake of Fred Walton's 1979 film of the same name, which became a cult classic for its opening 23 minutes, which this remake extends to a feature-length film.
The film was theatrically released on February 3, 2006.
The film opens at a bustling carnival at night. Amid the noise and flashing lights, the scene cuts to a nearby house where Stacy, a teenage babysitter, begins receiving phone calls filled only with heavy breathing. A light suddenly flicks on, revealing a figure rushing toward her. Stacy’s scream blends with the carnival crowd, masking the attack. Police later arrive to find Stacy and the three children she was watching murdered.
Meanwhile, in Colorado, 125 miles away from the crime scene, Jill Johnson, runs laps on the indoor track above the basketball court. Later, Jill talks with her friend Scarlett about missing the schools bonfire due to being grounded for going over her cell-phone minutes from arguing with her ex about kissing her other friend Tiffany and has to babysit that night to help pay off the bill.
That evening, Jill’s father drives her through winding mountain roads to the Mandrakis residence, a secluded modern glass house on a lake. Along the way, he tells her he and her mother are going to a classical concert, and that Mr. Mandrakis will bring her home afterward. At the house, Mr. and Mrs. Mandrakis greet her warmly and give a short tour, mentioning that their two children are ill with the flu and already asleep upstairs. They say they’ll return around midnight and leave
Jill tries to pass time in the quiet house. Growing bored, she wanders into the master bedroom, tries on a few pieces of Mrs. Mandrakis’s jewelry, and startles when she hears a noise. Following the sound, she discovers Rosa, the live-in maid, feeding birds in the indoor atrium. Back in the living room, the phone rings. Jill answers but hears only breathing before the line disconnects. Later, she calls Scarlett, and she mentions Bobby asked for Jill’s number and Jill tells her to give it to him before hanging up.
Moments after hanging up, the security alarm blares, echoing through the house. She disarms it and thinking Rosa triggered it, Jill rushes to the atrium—but finds only the chair with bird feed, the birds still eating. As Jill heads back toward the living room, the phone rings again. She answers; it’s silent at first, then a calm male voice asks, “Is everything alright?”. Confused Jill asks if it's Doctor Mandrakis but the call hangs up again.
Later, the phone rings again, and this time it’s a group of boys from school, laughing before hanging up. Moments later, she hears another strange noise from the kitchen. She moves cautiously to check—only to discover it’s just the ice machine rattling as it dispenses cubes. She grabs a popsicle and as she takes a bite as the phone rings again. She answers it and after a brief silence she hears a voice behind her say "Hello" but it is revealed to be Tiffany who was sent by Scarlett to make up with Jill. Jill asks how she got in, and Tiffany says the garage was open, which worries Jill who rushes to close it. The two make small talk, briefly making up before Tiffany leaves for the bonfire.
Outside,Tiffany hears footsteps, drops her keys but retrieves them, and rushes to unlock the door. After getting inside, she sees a branch blocking the driveway and reluctantly gets out to move it. The camera rushes toward her from behind but we don't see what happens. Inside, Jill tosses her melted popsicle when loud banging hits the front door. Thinking it’s Tiffany, she opens it—but no one’s there. Uneasy, she closes the door and resets the alarm before sitting back down. Jill receives another call — this time from her ex, Bobby, who admits their friend Cody prank-called her earlier but insists it was only once. As Jill asks if he’s sure, the line drops from poor signal.
Soon after, the phone rings again. Caller ID shows Tiffany, but when Jill answers, a man’s voice says it's not and When she asks if it’s Cody, he asks who that is before hanging up. Uneasy, Jill tries calling Scarlett, but the call drops after a few seconds. She dials her father’s number, then the Mandrakises, leaving voicemails for both, asking them to call her back.
Growing more anxious, Jill contacts the non-emergency police line, explaining that she’s receiving disturbing calls. He tells her they can’t intervene unless an actual threat is made. As she’s speaking, Jill notices Rosa’s car parked outside. She tells the officer she feels better knowing the maid is still there. He adds that she can call back if anything changes and introduces himself as Officer Burroughs. After hanging up, Jill decides to check on Rosa, but can’t find her even calling her phone but finds it in her purse.
Jill returns to the living room, and the phone rings again. When she answers, the same male voice asks,“Have you checked the children?” Worried, Jill goes upstairs and quietly opens the children’s bedroom door. They are still asleep in bed and she heads back down—only for the phone to ring once more. This time, the voice says, “How were the children?” Horrified, Jill realizes the man can see her. She rushes to close the curtains and calls Officer Burroughs back, frantically explaining. He tries to calm her, insisting it’s likely a prank, but Jill insists the caller “must want something.” He tells her he can trace the call if she keeps him on the line for at least one minute. Jill agrees and tries to steady her breathing, preparing for the next call.
Following Officer Burroughs’ instructions, Jill sets the timer on her watch. The phone rings again; she tries talking to him longer by asking him questions, but the man hangs up before then minute. Glancing out the window toward the guest house, Jill remembers that the Mandrakises’ eldest son, Todd, sometimes comes home from college unannounced. She calls and leaves a voicemail that she has called the police and if he's home to come wait with her.
As she hangs up, a shadow passes by the window. Thinking it might be Todd, Jill quickly arms herself and disarms and rearms the alarm before running across the path to the guest house. Inside, it’s empty with no sign Todd has been home. The phone rings again, and when Jill answers, she demands to know how the man got that number—but he hangs up. Checking her timer, she realizes he’d stayed on the line long enough for a trace—but he’d called the wrong phone line. Jill looks back toward the main house and sees a light switch on in Rosa’s room. Believing it’s her, she races back, disarms the alarm, and calls out for Rosa but doesn't get a response. The phone rings again and while walking toward Rosa’s room, she pleads for an answer, asking why he keeps calling. The man’s calm voice tells her that what he wants is her blood on him.
Sickened, Jill hangs up and enters the bathroom, finding the shower running but no one there. As she shuts off the water, the phone rings once more. Expecting the stranger she angrily tells him to stop calling but instead hears Officer Burroughs, who urgently warns her that the calls are coming from inside the house and she needs to get out. Jill freezes in horror as the lights go out. A faint cellphone rings nearby, and when she turns toward the sound, she sees Tiffany’s dead body on the floor. Screaming, she bolts from the room and into the darkness.
Moving through the darkened house, Jill goes to the childrens room to grab them to escape. When she pulls back the blankets on their beds, they’re gone. She checks the closet and finds them hiding inside a toy chest. She starts to lead them out, but the bedroom door is blocked by a dresser—and when she looks up, she finally sees the intruder crouched in the rafters above. Jill rushes the children back into the closet, securing the door with a cord as the man tries to break in. She tells the terrified kids to crawl through the small window that opens into the atrium, following close behind.
They reach the atrium, but the exit is locked. Jill watches the automatic lights flicker toward them, indicating movement. Relief turns to dread when it’s only the cat—just before the intruder suddenly slams on the glass panels behind them. Jill quickly activates the sprinkler system, cloaking them in falling water. She hides the children, then lowers herself into the pond, ducking beneath the bridge. Underwater, she discovers Rosa’s lifeless body, gasping and resurfacing in shock. As the man moves near the children, Jill signals for them to run, and they flee. But when the sprinklers shut off, the sound of their footsteps alerts him.
The kids escape as Jill hides under the bridge, but the man finds her and attempts to grab her. She kicks the bridge, knocking him into the water, and runs—he grabs her by the hair, but she forces the door closed, tearing free as she locks him inside. In the main room, Jill finds the children hiding near the fireplace—but spots one of the atrium’s birds on the stairs, realizing the man has escaped. As she and the children run to the door the intruder appears, pulling her back as the children flee. A violent struggle ensues; Jill is nearly strangled before she smashes a bottle of alcohol against the fireplace and ignites it, the burst of flame throwing him off. She drives a fire poker through his hand and bolts as he screams in agony.
Bursting through the front door, Jill collides with Officer Burroughs. In shock, she screams and fights him, believing it’s still the killer, until he calms her and assures her she’s safe. Outside the Mandrakis home, the children are reunited with their parents as Jill, still shaken, speaks with Officer Burroughs. When she asks where the intruder is, he tells her the man has been tranquilized and restrained, but Jill insists it isn’t enough. As the police car drives past, she catches a glimpse of the killer’s face glaring at her, leaving her horrified.
Later, in the hospital, Jill wakes to the sound of a balloon popping. She tries to page a nurse but gets no answer and steps into the hallway, finding it empty and silent. Returning to her room, the hospital phone begins ringing. She stares at it but doesn't answer and then looks toward her reflection in the mirror. As she closes the door, the stranger appears behind her and attacks. Jill wakes up screaming, thrashing in terror as her father and nurses try to hold her down and trying to calm her as she cries that he’s in the house, consumed by the trauma of her ordeal.
Screen Gems first announced production of When a Stranger Calls in August 2004, with Jake Wade Wall penning the script. Screen Gems had plans to release both a remake of the original film and a sequel titled When a Stranger Returns. [3] [4]
Evan Rachel Wood was offered the role of Jill, but turned it down. Camilla Belle was then approached and almost turned the role down due to her personal dislike for horror films but West, the director, convinced her that he was going more for a psychological thriller so she accepted. To prepare for the role, Belle had to do two months of weight-training and learning how to run. Belle was injured twice on the set; she struck a wooden bridge, cutting and scarring her hand, and also slammed her head against a glass window. [5] [6] [7]
Principal photography occurred from January 1 to February 28, 2005, in California. Bellarmine-Jefferson High School was used to portray the high school seen in the film while Signal Hill was used to portray the carnival shown in the film. Running Springs was used as the filming location for the road sequences. The house that was used in the film is located at Culver Studios in Culver City, California.
When a Stranger Calls: The Complete Original Motion Picture Score | |
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Film score | |
Released | February 10, 2006 |
Genre | Film score |
Length | 47:53 |
Label | Sony BMG Music Entertainment |
Producer | James Dooley |
When a Stranger Calls: The Complete Original Motion Picture Score, 15-instrumental songs composed by James Dooley, was released on February 10, 2006.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Main Title" | 4:51 |
2. | "Fateful Drive" | 2:57 |
3. | "The House" | 3:43 |
4. | "Exploring" | 5:16 |
5. | "Have You Checked the Children" | 5:11 |
6. | "Tiffany" | 2:55 |
7. | "Knock Knock Who There" | 7:18 |
8. | "Curtain Call" | 3:14 |
9. | "60 Seconds" | 3:39 |
10. | "Inside the House" | 4:12 |
11. | "Stranger" | 3:48 |
12. | "Conflagration" | 4:07 |
13. | "Police Station" | 2:44 |
14. | "Lunatic Asylum" | 3:58 |
15. | "End Credits" | 2:42 |
Total length: | 01:00:35 |
For the release of the film, AOL Instant Messenger ran ads beckoning users to IM Jill020306. When messaged, "Jill" (a Colloquis-style program) made small talk before panicking, as she received calls from a stranger asking her to check the children. She then gives the user her phone number (a toll-free 877 number) and asks them to call her. When users call, they hear an ad for the movie. Also, around the time of the DVD release, a new screen name appeared, Jill051606, to tie in with the DVD release date on May 16, 2006. It does not involve calling her, but instead she directs users to a video security system on the official DVD site where the shadow of the stranger passes by frequently.
As a marketing promotion for the film, a MySpace profile was created for Jill051606 featuring photos from the film. Users could add the profile as a friend, leave comments, and read Jill's blog.
The film was released on DVD and UMD on May 16, 2006. Special features include two audio commentaries (one with Camilla Belle and Simon West; the other with Jake Wade Wall), deleted scenes, a 20-minute making-of featurette, and trailers. A Blu-ray version of the film was released for the first time by Mill Creek Entertainment on October 4, 2016, in a triple feature with I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and Vacancy (2007). This disc contains none of the extras found on the DVD. [8] This initial release was discontinued, and a new version was released by Mill Creek titled "Queens of Scream - Triple Feature" on February 5, 2019. The new release is virtually identical, with the only differences being a new cover on the case and the inclusion of a DVD copy alongside the Blu-ray. [9]
The film opened at number one with $21.6 million. [10] It then made $9.1 million in its second weekend and $5 million in its third. [11] The film went on to gross a total of $47.9 million domestically, and $19.2 million internationally for a total worldwide gross of $67.1 million. [2]
When A Stranger Calls was critically panned. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 8% based on 90 reviews and an average rating of 3.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "When a Stranger Calls ranks among the more misguided remakes in horror history, offering little more than a rote, largely fright-free update to the original." [12] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 27 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [13] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. [14]
In 2006, When a Stranger Calls was nominated to the Golden Trailer Awards in the category "Best Thriller". [15]
Writer Jake Wade Wall discussed the possibility of a sequel in September 2020. His treatment would have the film be a remake of the second half of the original film, where Jill Johnson is older now and has a family and the killer has escaped the asylum, citing the success of Halloween (2018) as an inspiration. [16]