User reviews

Fascinating (and undiscovered) mystery/suspense/ thriller concerns a strange woman and her (even stranger?) guest in an isolated cabin in the woods. That's the entire cast, and basically there is only one set. A chilling movie where nothing is what it seems. You spend the entire film trying to discern who the "villain" is. This sort of thing must have impeccable acting to succeed, and does. McDowell is exquisite, the perfect choice.

Subsequent viewings are also rewarding, but you watch the movie from a complete different perspective. 2 1/2 of 4 stars on a tough scale.

These weird, gapless phone calls; this plastic artificiality; the completely unnatural emotional reactions: are these evidence that what we're witnessing is mental illness, something supernatural, or "just 80s movie things"? Only at this moment in history could that full range of possibilities exist.

And that gamut is what's going to keep you gripped in the oddest possible way. You can never simply guess or second-guess what's going on, because you always know that in 80s cinema this could be a representation of something more mundane. From that possibility, many more can spring. Your mind becomes a field of spinning plates: perhaps it's a weird mating dance between people who've lost their spark, someone/everyone is a psychopath, someone/everyone has memory loss, the list goes on.

You are absolutely never going to guess the twist, and how you react to that revelation will largely rest on how much you enjoyed the ridiculous build-up. If you allowed the campness to wash over you, the ending will be an absurd delight but if it was trying your patience then the ending is going to make you rage.

There's something particularly adorable about the way this film clearly thinks it's playing a classy two-hander worthy of the stage. I mean, it's not. It's absolutely not. Awww, but bless its heart.

Strange, gripping drama for the first 90% of the movie. McDowell plays his character with a weird calm intensity that keeps your eyes glued to him. Madolyn Smith-Osborne, a terrific actress here and someone who I never heard of, plays a woman who looks like she's about to come unhinged at any moment.

Part of the problem with this very dialogue-intense movie is that it builds up to such a dramatic climax that it's impossible to keep it going through any explanation of what's really going on. And the explanation really cheapens things.

What's really great about this movie is the interplay between the two (and only two) characters. In some parts it's brilliant. I wish I had stopped watching some time before Smith-Osborne got all her points, however.

I debated on getting this one for a while, but finally, just gave in and got it. And I thought it was a really cool movie, though the ending was sort of tough to swallow.

Madolyn Smith plays a young woman staying at a cabin in the woods, and one night, a man comes to her door asking to use the phone. Yet, you know he has been watching her for quite some time, so the scenes between them are tense from then on.

Each day after that, she sees him, and they have these very interesting confrontations. Their interaction--which I am giving nothing away about--is gripping, and sometimes, you wonder which one is really crazy.

When the climax of the movie came, the movie got extremely tense, but then it took this weird twist that, though it was a scary idea, came across sort of dumb. Or at least at first. Once it fleshes out a little more, you will either be sort of lost on what kind of movie this is supposed to be, or you will be quite interested. By the end, I thought the idea was very inventive, though not very fleshed out. But when first revealed, I was ready to forget the 90% of truly scary film. I say, see this movie. It will keep you guessing on what's going on until the end, and I guarantee you'll never suspect it. Overall, a good movie.

(1987) The Caller PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER/ SCIENCE-FICTION

It opens with the Madolyn Smith character leaving with some money to the gas station attendant after filling the range rover up with gas. And when she leaves the gas station, someone's hand is seen grabbing money after she has left. And by the time she comes home, which happens to be a cottage in the middle of the nowhere, someone appears to be watching her. Bringing packages in, one of the odd packages she brings inside is a hat box that has something dripping at the bottom. She first makes a call to her daughter and as soon as someone knocks on her door, it happens to be the character played by Malcolm McDowell, telling her that he has a flat and wanting to use her telephone. At first, she is reluctant since she says she is expecting somebody to show up for dinner as it was in the middle of the night. And it was at this point the mind games begins when both the Madolyn Smith and the Malcolm McDowell characters begin questioning one another's motives and making suggestions the person may have or might have done, ending with a twist the reason the movie is called "the Caller", and it is not what one would think.

A two person performance of Madolyn Smith and Malcolm McDowell as one is attempting to figure out the other from one day after the next. The ending rivals to anything from the "Twilight Zone" which requires some thought.

The suspense of this movie made me late for work, when I got to work I discovered everyone else was late due to this movie being so suspenseful! The movie description tells you all you need to know. The end is something you must see only because I did, and it's only fair you do too. Will say this though; I didn't see it coming. There really isn't much more to say and I don't want to spoil this for any of you so I will most certainly not do that. The acting is decent, and the direction is very good so this is not by any means a waste of time. I say that because I know this will be the initial reaction of most people.

So this a weird one... From moment to moment "The Caller" will not be what you expect and I challenge you to guess the surprise ending.

I didn't, and I'm normally pretty good at that sort of thing. In this case, I didn't get it even with the hint that the movie is in the "sci-fi" genre. Hint, hint. Still won't help you though.

This is a story about a woman apparently trapped in an isolated cabin or small town while being visited by a strange "caller" (McDowell). Comprised largely of dialog, I feel a staginess in this production that actually helps its atmosphere quite a bit.

You'll watch like I did wondering when the "sci-fi" part will happen. Wait for it. It's worth the patience. Mostly.

THE CALLER is a very strange psychological thriller put out by Charlie Band's Empire Pictures outfit. It plays out as a two-hander in which a mysterious young woman is visited by an older stranger at her cabin-in-the-woods home, and the story follows their developing relationship which appears to be based on secrets, lies and game-playing. The chief draw here is Malcolm McDowell, who gives a typically eccentric performance, but sadly the actress they've put him up against simply isn't very good. The script is pretty poor too, with little suspense and then a big twist at the end which reminded me of Norman J. Warren's PREY, albeit less effective.

An undeservedly forgotten little feature by Empire Pictures. Where has this one been hiding? Instead of relying heavily on special effects, 'The Caller' sticks to an audaciously thought-provoking screenplay and confidently notable performances by its only two, but spellbinding cast members Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith-Osborne.

A young lady living in the woods waiting for her guest to arrive for dinner is being unknowingly watched. There's suddenly a knock at the door, but it's a mysterious man who wants to use her phone as his had a car accident. But what follows on from that leads to the two questioning each other's motives and the true meaning of their encounter.

It would be an understatement if I called it strangely unconventional, as nothing seems quite what it is and due to that nature it's plain gripping. Watching the battle of wills and wits between McDowell and Smith is brought across with pure intensity, bold authenticity and a touch of sinisterness. As one thinks they have the upper hand, soon it comes crashing down, but the mind games still flow. The true intentions is mystifying on what's going on with these fabrications, up until the unhinged climax (where I can see why it could be a turn off or disappointment of some sort) that really does throw you of course and lands you back at square one. There's no-way any one can find this calculative fodder predictable. Michael Sloane's enduring story is cerebrally crafted as while it's talky, the twisty nature is well observed in its details of the plot and character's progression. The verbal confrontations rally up the unbearable tension and emotional drive. How it plays out is like something out of a stage show and Arthur Allan Seidelman's tautly measured direction lends to that magnifying atmosphere. You truly get the sense that there's on one else about, other then these two (nameless) characters. McDowell's quietly edgy turn is hypnotic and Smith's neurotically vulnerable persona is creditably delivered. Watching these two steadfast performances and their chemistry together was fantastic. The remote woodland setting adds to the isolated and uneasy style of the feature. Richard Band's score is minimal, but titillatingly subtle and eerie.

An oddly disorientating and elaborate, if simulating addition to Empire Pictures.

It's one of those movies which is progressively making you question if You are going mad / not clever enough to understand any freakin thing in this picture. Then something happens at the very end, and you go A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-!..!.!...

...and you are probably supposed to re-watch now actually getting the point of every happening and strange set dressings.

Gotta admit the intriguing third "sci-fi" tag made me watching it in the end, and i was right: it is not just an inconsequential "stranger from the street keeps a naive poor soul on her toes for an hour" type of flick.

But don't ask me what type of flick it really is either, because i'm not sure if we are even expected to fully understand what is going on. All i say is, the film sorta hints at the possibility that The Girl is either the last person alive on Earth, or she is one of the handful of "lucky ones" left, being tormented.

I'm yet to re-watch some time, maybe i will be able to rate higher once i saw these two acting the way they do, now in a different light.

In amongst all the gremlin knock-offs/killer toy crap Charles Band has churned out over the last 20 years, a few surprises have sneaked through - usually to an indifferent audience. No wonder Band sticks to what he knows.....'The Caller' can be counted amongst Band's more valient efforts ('Dark Angel', 'Trancers', 'Shrunken Heads', 'Re-animator', 'Freeway 2', 'From Beyond', 'Ghost Town', 'Prison', 'Crawlspace') - a film that makes an honest effort to transcend the usual DTV crap that dominates the modern movie market. Like the aforementioned efforts, it all comes down to an above average script. And, unusually for a genre film, the two leads seem to be taking all this hokum seriously, which convinces the audience to do the same. MGM (who have owned Empire Pictures' back catalogue for the past 10 years) would be doing genre fans a service were they to re-release true originals like this, rather than garbage like Tim Kincaid's 'Breeders'...

This movie is just weird for weird sake. At first, there is a strong buildup of tension between Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith characters. Both characters are so suspicious and weird I'm not exactly sure who's the actual threat of this psychological thriller actually is.

Then come the what in the world twist ending. You just wouldn't except this somewhat smart, gripping thriller suddenly swerve into a B movie madness, it completely switch genre. So the woman is a part of some experiment... but what is the purpose? Where is she? I think there is no logic to the ending, it just added to make your jaw drop.

I do like this thriller but I won't watch it again, just to pick hints to figure the purpose of the twist ending. There is no purpose, no theme, no metaphor... this movie just want to be bizarre.

This one stars Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith Osborne. She lives in a small house in the woods, and one evening McDowell knocks on the door. His car has broken down. May he use her phone. After some hesitation, she agrees. He makes the call, agrees to 15 minutes, and then while waiting, he and Miss Osborne get into a creepy, mind-game conversation. Later, they meet in town, where they hold more creepy talks. What's going on?

When it comes to playing a creep, McDowell has little competition. Here he pitches his voice as a tenor and uses a mid-Atlantic accent that is clearly artificial to let us know he's a phoney, even though we don't know how. Miss Osborne is good too. However, the ending is thoroughly dumb.

I love movies like this. I love movies where the characters don't have names, they have titles. Here we have a two character film. One character is The Girl. The other is The Caller.The psychological head games they play on each other reach a bizarre level that makes for a truly fascinating viewing experience. A lot of folks, I suppose, will be turned off by the excessively talky nature of the script--the entire thing is nothing but dialog--but for those out there who are looking for something different--then The Caller is worth seeking out. Watch it if you enjoy Malcolm McDowall's acting.The whole thing keeps you guessing...very weird and well done.

A woman living alone in a remote house in woodland feels like she's being watched and that someone may have invaded her home. A man calls around out of the blue to use her phone as his car has broken down. And so ensues a night of psychological sparring with the stranger who seems to know a lot about her and shifts of powers between the two as to who is the victim and who is the aggressor.

The Caller starts well but very quickly becomes heavy-handed and tiresome because of this. If only more time had been spent on the script, then this film would be as intelligent as it thinks it is but clearly isn't.

Malcolm McDowell as The Caller is excellent but deserves better material to sink his teeth into.

Rather than being a cerebral thriller, this feels more like a superficial and banal TV movie.

A woman alone in a cabin in the woods. A mysterious man knocks on her door. The game begins...

This is the perfect film for fans of mystery and intrigue. Like a two-person play, the characters toy with each other, making the viewer sense these two know more than they are letting on. So, we have to try to listen more carefully to what they say and play along. Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith handle their situation effectively and play against each other with ease. Sure, the outcome may seem far-fetched to many viewers, but that's the beauty of this film--you never in a million years would have guessed that THAT was what was going on! Any other solution would have made this a standard "TV mystery", but this one gives you a swift kick and makes sure you are very surprised. It's too bad little gems like these don't get better coverage, even in the magazines that deal with obscure films. Don't try to analyze it too much, but it sure is fun having a brain-teaser for a film as well as be entertained. For such an obscure film, this one is amazingly smart and deserves a more attention. I'm quite confident word of mouth would secure its success this time around over 20 years later.

Update August 2011: A DVD-R is now available as part of MGM's Limited Edition Collection. In 2010 Intrada released Richard Band's soundtrack score on CD, but in a limited edition of 1,000 copies.

A woman (Madolyn Smith Osborne) lives alone in a house in the woods. A man (Malcolm McDowell) knocks on the door asking to use the telephone.

This is a two person play with strictly two characters. The first half is a lot of dancing around the issue while revealing a few things. Something is off and I kept wondering. They must be connected somehow. Then the two of them go back into the world. There is an obvious solution to this premise. There is a way to wrap up this movie but the last act takes a really weird turn. It's an unexpected turn and it's not good. I can't abide by this ending.

A woman waits for a friend to visit, she's prepared a meal, and gone to troubles to look great, she gets a knock on the door, but it's not her guest, it's a man who claims to have broken down, he asks to use her phone.

Madolyn Smith Osborne and Malcolm McDowell are both very good in their respective roles, and credit to them, they really do deliver, they bounce off eachother well, when you consider it's just the two of them that's as well.

After the stereotypical start.....it was a dark and stormy night... etc etc, I was expecting to slate this film, but to my total surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I could well and truly imagine this playing out on stage in an intimate Theatre, this would work perfectly, on film it works just as well. I was imagining something along the lines of An Inspector calls, and I think that's what this reminds me of.

Now I may be wrong, but in some scenes you can see a tank full of fish, and in others there aren't any.

It's a little surreal, but I was super keen to learn how it ended, it was worth waiting for.

Through enjoyed it.

8/10.

This is a movie that really keeps you guessing all the way. I would like to point out a strange coincidence: while watching this (with some breaks) I also happened to watch some recap of Tesla's AI day event at the end of September where Elon Musk shows off Tesla's latest project, a humanoid AI robot with hands that really mimic human hands. I won't explain what this has to do with the movie in case you didn't see it yet, but I think it's a really funny coincidence, and maybe a bit scary.

Anyway, regarding the movie, there are only two actors in the movie and it all takes place at some remote location in the woods. The dialogue and acting are superb and truly engaging. If you are looking for suspense, this is an excellent choice since there is plenty of it. The only thing with this movie is that you need to be prepared for a very unusual ending which may be a let down if you expect something else, which you probably would, because nobody could guess the ending, it comes totally out of left field. However the ending is what makes this movie truly unusual, as you might wish you watched it in reverse! In fact after watching the ending, I'm sure many would elect to watch the movie once again to observe how it all leads to that very unexpected and unusual ending. I think I will, and I don't really like to watch movies again since time is short and there are other movies to watch.

Also I'd point out that due to the ending you'd think there would be a sequel (maybe that's what was intended) or that this was the start of a mini-series.

I did enjoy watching, and that's what matters.