This review may contain spoilers
A take on how meddling with the past is never smart
A compelling take on grief; if we had the chance to bring a dead loved one back to life, we all would without even thinking of the consequences it would bring. Though the movie uses a very direct approach when it comes to what the costs would be (it’s a movie, it has to be entertaining so…), I believe that what it is trying to convey is very much out there on the open; dealing with the loss of a loved one is something you have no other choice but to learn how to do and that the sorrow that comes with it should drive you to hold on to the relationships you have with the living.You can always trust Korean thrillers to have as many plot twists as they can and this movie sure does not disappoint in that accord. It honestly depends a lot on your own personal taste, but at no point did I find myself bored or wondering how much of the movie was still left. The pace in the beginning is a little off but it’s understandable because it’s only supposed to be the premise and the rest of the movie needs the time to feel as high-tension as it did. I do think that it would not be as interesting on a second watch, but I can’t say that without actually watching it a second time.
The cinematography is not bad but it’s ordinary; some play with the color hues, nothing unforgettable. I also don’t have much to say about the acting; none of the performances will remain in my memory as striking but the two main actresses did a good job either way. The script is one of the things done really well in my opinion, there were no lines that felt out of place or that seemed wrong. As for the most memorable scene in the movie, for me it will be the one of Seo-yeon and her dad in the car.
Many people have already pointed this out, but the last seconds of this movie pretty much ruined it. The ending where everything cycles back to the beginning and it’s just Seo-yeon and her mother but no longer estranged, was the perfect ending. Should’ve turned off my laptop then.
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Twists and Turns That Make Little Sense
In order for this movie to work you have to suspend all established theories of time, space, and reality. Because the plot's timeline is constantly changing, it is very hard to follow and to get a sense that our FL is making any progress in this salad of events. It feels like the viewer is constantly having the rug pulled out from under her. The only constant thing is the evil of the antagonist remaining one step ahead of our FL. You start to wonder if anything at all is actually happening or just in the mind of the FL. Perhaps that is what the director was trying to convey. In doing so, however, it leaves you with a sense of hopelessness and disappointment.The acting is wonderful with great performances by the cast. One thing is certain: it's very thought provoking but not sure I agree with how the production was executed. There were some obvious plot holes that didn't add up.
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They really outdid themselves on this one! This was a great movie
I'm not going to write about spoilers because I really watched this drama without reading or watching spoilers; and all I knew about it was the brief description about the plot, which was confusing before I watched the movie itself. I wanted to watch the movie without any prejudice The reason why I was interested was because of the trailer and the genre of the movie, which is my favorite genre. With the trailer alone, the duality of the plot and the characters were inevitable. While watching the movie, all I could say was, WOW! Thank you to the producers, the writers and the actors of this movie, because it was a great movie.If you want a movie that's going to keep your heart racing and feel the character's pain and emotions, you better watch this great movie. I don't need to mention how great Park Shin Hye and Kim Sung Ryung are, because they have always been Queens and they have worked together in You're Beautiful and The Heirs (Both times as male lead's mother)! And, Jeon Jong Seo is a rookie actress and she pulled off her character very well.
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Accidentally watched this movie twice.
Watched the movie twice. I didn't realized that I've already watched it. So, I guess the downside is that it's a bit forgettable.While watching, I can say that with all it's faults, that it's still really entertaining. The casts did a good job. Movies like this one, is really a gamble. The need for a perfect blend of the past and present should be done well or everything will fall apart.
With this one, the biggest question remains, were they cursed? Is that why they were able to connect through phone calls? Oh well, I guess it's stupid to look for reasons in paranormal psychological thriller.
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This review may contain spoilers
ODDINARY (out of the ordinary)
I really loved watching the movie.As i finished a Korean drama before watching the movie, I was looking for something that would have made me thrilled or just something that would invite me to watch.
I was really looking forward something that was imaginary yet fierce. I really love the approach of friendship at first, just because it was something out of the normal but then it twisted to someone who can't get enough.
I'd love to see a second part of this movie.
Perhaps a revenge that fails? Or not.
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This review may contain spoilers
Some of you might get confused but thats why you have to focus and stick around the whole film.
The thing that I have learned from this movie is that you don't really need many actors so It would be a good movie .Acting was absolutely superb. Very believable performances from everyone involved and amazing work to show changes of the emotional and psychological states in the main characters. Jeon joon seo & Park shin hye played a brilliant role here. Young sook's laugh still give me chills! She played a real villian man!! Hats off to her character.
There is one thing I noticed, The cliffhanger ending that is supposed to shock us but ultimately doesn't fulfill any form of surprise or dread. No, that ending doesn't work at all. Let's just say it made no sense that our villain, wouldn't be found after what happened to her. I know cliffhangers are fun, but at least make them believable.
I liked how the relationship of mom-daughter changed in the end, when from the start Seo-yon towards her mom wasn't in good terms at all, maybe she thought her mom was kinda selfish of herself [doing her nails and such to make beautiful] but the twist of the plot showed that a mother will do everything just to protect and save her child no matter what. Seeing Seo-yon smiles at the end proved her how her mother loves her very much.
Overall, a very well done film that, throughout has you at the edge of your seat
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Scary thriller!
The Call (2020)Scary!! The movie is about a girl who is able to communicate to a girl who used to live in the same house using an old wireless phone. Just when she thought she saved her from being killed by her stepmom, turns out she unleashed a monster.
I was loving the movie until that gas explosion scene and the story went downhill very very fast.
I'd blame this with the main protagonist who I thought was dumb. Everything that happened to her happened because she made too many stupid decisions.
And the while parallel universe logic was too simple and unbelievable. Everything changes in the future but its only physical. She never gets the memories from the past and that knowledge to help her win against the girl.
And that final twist at the end was too much. I almost didn't see it because I thought the movie was over and wasn't paying attention. I'd say they should have scrapped it.
Rating: 7.5/10
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Great acting- Big plot holes
The entertainment value of this film is high. It is suspenseful and well acted. The director and actors clearly worked well together. The writers on the other hand...The first part of this movie is amazing. Up until the main protagonists father is saved everything makes sense. If you don't think too deeply everything is fine... But really things fall apart after that. It falls apart in a slightly annoying way that makes you yell at the protagonist to use their common sense.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
They want us to believe that a young person in the year 2020 would not use the internet to the best of their abilities. This person doesn't have the common sense to do any research on what is happening at all. That is the biggest plot hole of this entire story.
Equally annoying is the fact that she has a zero concept of fact that changes in the past could have negative consequences on the present. She also just casually shares things about the present with this person from 20 years in the past. That's kind of rule number one of dealing with the past, is that you do not share things about the present. Especially since she wasn't doing it for a specific reason, and then already realizee that this was a horrible criminal. If only she knew when to SHUT UP!!!
Then there is this lack of memory. After her father is killed she should have remembered her mother coming to the house.
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One of the best Thrillers around
Definitely one of the best time travel / time loop movie I've watched in a long time. It really puts you at the edge of your seat. Park Shin-Hye and Jeon Jong Seo are both spectacular here. I just don't see this movie succeeding with anyone else aside from them.It's always difficult to create a good time travel movie as there are just too many things to explain and it's really difficult to ensure everything is tied together. They did it pretty well here.
No doubt this is sort of a remake of the old English film but still, the actresses played it to perfection. You can feel the thrill when shin hye and Jong Seo were having their cat and mouse game and there's always that lingering question, how can someone from the present (A) prevent someone from the past (B) from killing A's past self, especially when A has no way of reaching her past self ?
It's like a totally against the odds tale. You know chances are extremely high that A is gonna lose, but you still want to find out if A can actually win.
Masterpiece really.
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you WILL get pissed
Honestly though, this movie took the ‘cliche dumb main character in a horror movie’ to the next level. You have no idea how much she frustrated me. Literally the dumbest person ever, I mean I get that in certain situations you just don’t know how to handle things like that but isn’t she completely dense?But then again this just proves how well the actress is, so kudos to her. Both actresses did extremely well honestly..
The ending kinda fucked me up because i’m honestly kinda happy for the villain winning because wow i did not feel one ounce of sympathy towards the main character, she literally deserved it all because of how dumb and naive she was. Literally how could she possibly make every bad move and the way she handled that stuff is just even more frustrating, it’s just an easy story where it pisses you off.
On a more bright note I guess it’s more realistic to end it like that because how could a dumbass like her outsmart a smart serial killer? Lol, I thought this might’ve been some kinda horror esque movie where the villain gets killed in the end by some magical thing but atleast they showed that it’s practically unrealistic to make her lose against an idiot. So honestly…i’m not even THAT mad. I’m just mad that they made the main character that unlikeable..
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Really pull you in...
I'm going to be brief. Most of "time travel" related dramas are mess but this was pretty ok. Ok. Not perfect. It had few holes and the end was meh(=the last 2 minutes)The acting was brilliant. I was sometimes scared how good it was. It felt too real watching jong-seo, thumbs up for both FL<3
Start was slower but it was bearable and i was nervously bitting my nails through the last 50 minutes,not gonna lie. The thrill was real. Definitely worth watch for people who like thrillers and psychology etc. but sometimes it's better to switch your brain off and just watch.
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Thought-provoking film that will not waste your time
Just a few seconds into the film, I was slowly captivated by the colours. Yes, it is sad and dull. But there is beauty even though it is a sombre colour palette. Besides that, the transitions are fitting as well. From locating the missing smartphone of our lead character, a Galaxy Note 9 (not sponsored) to be exact, the scene slowly and beautifully transitioned to a brain scan.Okay, that might be ridiculous to some. But I do love a good transition. And with The Call (2020), it does not end with simple film transitions. There are several as the story shows us various process or periods of changing from one state to another, which are often heartbreaking. The narrative keeps moving and transforming as both our leads do what they need to survive and live the life they deserve.
And we all know this does not always work out. Sure, we can repeatedly change our life or rather what is up ahead as we have the power to plan or retract every decision we make. However, we cannot control external factors nor mould our life according to what we only want. And most importantly, we can not change the past. A truth that is hard for everyone to accept.
Speaking of which this film is not about time travel. No one travels from past to present or vice versa. The Call (2020) focuses more on connecting with the past and then bending reality when one realises she had the upper hand.
This horror mystery thriller is one of those films that work your brain. If you love that kind of genre, I highly recommend The Call (2020). It is one thought-provoking film that will not waste your time.
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