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The Call (2020 South Korean film)

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The Call
Promotional poster
Hangul
콜
Revised RomanizationKol
Directed byLee Chung-hyun
Written byLee Chung-hyun
Based onThe Caller
by Sergio Casci
Produced bySyd Lim
Jeong Hui-sun
Starring
CinematographyJo Young-jik
Edited byYang Jin-mo
Music byDalpalan
Production
company
Yong Film
Distributed byNext Entertainment World
Netflix
Release date
  • November 27, 2020 (2020-11-27)
Running time
112 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean

The Call (Korean: 콜; RR: Kol), is a 2020 South Korean science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Lee Chung-hyun, starring Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo. Based on the 2011 British and Puerto Rican film The Caller, The Call revolves around Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye) and Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo), two women from different times who connect through a phone call that interchanges their fates. The film was originally going to be released theatrically but cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] It was released on Netflix globally on November 27, 2020.[1]

Plot

In 2019, 28-year-old Kim Seo-yeon visits her sick, estranged mother, Eun-ae, in a rural area. Arriving at her rundown childhood home, she finds a decades-old cordless phone, and through it receives calls from a distressed woman who says she's being tortured by her mother. After investigating the house, she figures out that the woman on the phone, Oh Young-sook, is living in the same house but in 1999. The two are able to communicate across time through the phone, and get to know each other. Young-sook is orphaned and lives with her adoptive mother, who is a shaman, while Seo-yeon lost her father in 1999 due to a fire she blames her mother for.

Young-sook, acting on information from Seo-yeon, sneaks out to prevent the fire that killed Seo-yeon's father. She is successful, and Seo-yeon's reality changes: her parents are both alive and healthy, and their house is lavish. Young-sook, however, is punished by her mother, and becomes resentful that Seo-yeon's life improved while hers is the same.

Seo-yeon learns online that Young-sook was killed by her mother during an exorcism. She warns Young-sook, who saves herself; her mother explains that she must kill her, as her fortune reveals multiple deaths. She kills her mother, who, it turns out, was right: now freed, Young-sook becomes a serial killer. Seo-yeon realizes what has happened when Young-sook's victims disappear in the present day. During a phone call, she inadvertently reveals that Young-sook will be arrested.

In 1999, Young-sook is visited by 8-year-old Seo-yeon and her father, who have come to the house to close their purchase of it. She kills Seo-yeon's father and takes young Seo-yeon captive. In 2019, Seo-yeon's reality changes again: her father is dead and the house in even worse condition. Young-sook tells Seo-yeon to find out how she'll be arrested. Seo-yeon feeds her false information, but when she threatens to kill Eun-ae next, Seo-yeon breaks into the local police station for the notebook used in 1999. Young-sook taunts that they're the same when she reveals that it was Seo-yeon who caused the fire that originally killed her father; she had lied about Eun-ae being responsible.

Seo-yeon gives Young-sook the correct information, and her reality changes again: the house is now owned by an older Young-sook, who has continued as a serial killer. The content of the notebook changes as well, with a note that Eun-ae came to the house with a police officer. Seo-yeon waits in the house and warns the 1999 Eun-ae of Young-sook.

In 1999, Young-sook kills the police officer and chases Eun-ae. In 2019, older Young-sook similarly chases Seo-yeon. Eun-ae seemingly sacrifices herself to protect little Seo-yeon and kill Young-sook, and 2019 changes again, with the house becoming derelict and old Young-sook disappearing. Seo-yeon is reunited with Eun-ae, who is alive and well, albeit with scars.

In a mid-credit scene, older Young-sook calls her younger counterpart to warn her about Eun-ae and the police officer, allowing Young-sook to alter her own history. This results in the erasure of Eun-ae from present day Seo-yeon's side. The scene cuts to the torture room, where a person tied to a chair is screaming for help. It is a frightened adult Seo-yeon, once again a captive of Young-sook.

Cast

Production

Principal photography began on January 3, 2019, and wrapped on April 2, 2019.[4]

Reception

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[5]

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Category Recipient Result Ref.
2021 57th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress (Film) Jeon Jong-seo Won [6]
Best New Director Lee Chung-hyun Nominated
30th Buil Film Awards Nominated [7][8]
Best Actress Jeon Jong-seo Won
15th Asian Film Awards Best Actress Nominated [9][10]
26th Chunsa Film Art Awards Best Actress Nominated [11]
Best New Director Lee Chung-hyun Nominated
42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards Nominated
Best Actress Jeon Jong-seo Nominated
2022 20th Director's Cut Awards Best Actress Won
Best New Actress Nominated
Best New Director Lee Chung-hyun Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b Park, Sae-jin (October 20, 2020). "Thriller film starring actress Park Shin-hye to premiere on Netflix". Aju Business Daily. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Park Shin-hye, Jeon Jong-seo Team up for New Thriller". The Chosun Ilbo. January 19, 2019. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "영화계 블루칩 증명한 전종서, 두번째 꿰찬 주연은?" (in Korean). Daily Today. March 5, 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "KoBiz - Korean Film Biz Zone". www.kobiz.or.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  5. ^ "The Call (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Kim Jin-seok and Jo Yeon-kyung (April 12, 2021). "57회 백상예술대상, TV·영화·연극 부문 최종 후보 공개". isplus.joins (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Jo Young-mi (August 26, 2021). "'모가디슈' ·'자산어보' 13개 부문 중 8개 부문 후보에 올라" ['Mogadishu' and 'Jasaneobo' were nominated in 8 out of 13 categories]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Naver. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  8. ^ "부문별 후보 소개" (Press release) (in Korean). Buil Film Awards. 2021. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  9. ^ "The 15th Asian Film Awards Nominations Announced". Asian Film Awards Academy. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  10. ^ Souw, Rebecca; Frater, Patrick (October 8, 2021). "'Wife of a Spy' Wins Top Prize at Asian Film Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  11. ^ Seong Ha- Hoon (July 5, 2021). "춘사영화제, 이번엔 온라인 개봉영화까지 품었다, 26회 춘사국제영화제 후보작 발표, <승리호> 조성희 감독도 후보에" [Chunsa Film Festival, this time also has online release, Nominations announced at the 26th Chunsa International Film Festival]. OhmyNews. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
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