When a Killer Calls
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
A killer goes into a house, killing a mother and her two children. In the process, he takes pictures on his cell phone of the attack. Elsewhere, Trisha (Rebekah Kochan) is babysitting a girl, Molly, while her parents are out. She needs this to go well because her last babysitting job with the Hewitts did not end on a good note. On the way to a speaking engagement, Molly's parents are killed by an off-screen attacker that they obviously knew. Meanwhile, Trisha begins getting increasingly threatening phone calls and texts. After, she puts Molly to bed, the caller escalates his taunting. He sends her pictures of the previous murders claiming he did it for her. Although she believes it is her boyfriend Matt calling her, she calls the police who inform her that they will trace the call.
Matt (Robert Buckley), along with his two reckless friends Frank and Chrissy arrive saying they have been chased by cops after Frank brandished a gun at a bowling alley during an argument. They ask to stay until it is safe to leave. Matt assures Trisha that he did not make that call. Going into the basement to make out, Chrissy hears a strange noise. Frank is killed when he investigates and Chrissy is beaten unconscious when she goes to find him. Worried that Frank is getting into trouble again, Trisha has Matt find out what he is doing. When he goes to the basement, he is knocked unconscious and tied up by the killer.
Watching the news of a triple murder earlier that night, Trisha realizes the pictures sent to her are real and that they are also of the Hewitts. The killer calls Trisha and informs her that she needs to check on Molly. After the police call and inform her that the calls came from inside the house, she discovers a camera in the living room. She checks on Molly and finds her dead with Richard Hewitt (the murdered family's husband and father) in the bedroom. She tries to run from him but is quickly tripped and knocked unconscious.
Awakening in the basement, Trisha discovers she is gagged and tied to a rafter, Matt tied up on the floor, Chrissy tied up and gagged on the couch, and Frank dead on the floor. Richard tortures the group and kills Chrissy before he goes upstairs to kill some investigating police officers. Richard also explains the reason for the murders, revealing he had become obsessed with Trisha after raping her one night. Using this time to free himself, Matt stuns Richard and frees Trisha. However, Matt is killed doing this. Trisha manages run out of the house and retrieves Frank's gun which he stashed in Matt's truck. She shoots Richard several times, ensuring he is dead, and then walks away from the house into the surrounding woods.

Review: "When a Killer Calls" is an unusually nasty slasher flick, with some very unpleasant and unsettling sequences.
The decision was clearly made to try and cash in on the remake of "When a Stranger Calls" by pretty much putting in -- almost word for word -- the phone call sequences from that movie.
So for the beginning of the film, we really like and are rooting for the babysitter (a nice believable job by Rebekah Kochan), but then she's joined by standard slasher-flick teenage friends and the mood is ruined.The flick sort of works, but it probably a lot more unpleasant than you'll be expected, so be fore-warned..
After wading through a morass of God awful horror films of late, this was, by comparison, a pleasant surprise.Granted this is a knock-off (to be kind) of another B movie, I found it didn't have the flaws that run rampant through other entries in this genre.It had a professional look, was decently directed and the acting was better than average for this type of film.
Most importantly, the script was at least thought out, and didn't have the gut-wrenching plot holes and improbable logic (or lack there of) I've come to expect.Don't get me wrong, it certainly isn't a horror classic by any means but if you're looking for something in this vein and there's nothing else to rent (as was my case), it won't feel like a waste of time.Back-handed compliments to be sure, but I don't think the remake of When a Stranger Calls will be a whole lot better..
In this case we get When a Killer Calls, ripping on the Sony remake of When A Stranger Calls (2006).
Killer is obviously low budget, with passable-at-best special effects for the gore, though the acting is surprisingly decent for the most part.
Just want to inform you guys that this movie was actually pretty good !!!
This movie has enough blood, gore, and some sexy make out scenes of course, to keep any horror buff like me 100% satisfied!
Even though its not a high budget movie, the effects wore definitely kinda creepy sometimes.
Worth watching if u like a kick ass horror movie thats for sure!!Tom. A rip off it is, horrible it isn't.
An extremely amateurish rip off of When A Stranger Calls but unlike the well filmed, atmospheric remake of the 1970's chiller this one has balls.
Right from the beginning of the film it has the feeling of unease and dread with brutal and effective yet generic kills that were disturbing and gutsy.
This movie has a very visibly low budget and less than impressive acting that were the movie's downfall but the body count was decent and the killer was sadistic and stopped at nothing to bring fear to this poor babysitter and the stalk sequences though handled in a silly amateurish way did bring some suspense and creepyness to the film enough to make you look over your shoulder especially if you watch it alone in your home.
The acting was beyond atrocious thanks to a horrible script and unoriginal story but towards the end it seems like everyone tried their best to step up their game which led to an effective, harrowing finale which might make you think twice about babysitting.
Overall it's obviously a ripoff, unoriginal, flimsy but its brutality, creepyness and ballsy nature will creep under your skin, sure it wasn't amazing but as a generic rip off of stalk and slash it isn't half bad.
When a Killer Calls (2006) ** 1/2 (out of 4) The Asylum's mockbuster of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (the remake) has Trisha (Rebekah Kochan) going to babysit when she starts tor receive harassing phone calls.
Pretty soon she starts to think it's her boyfriend but when he shows up at the house she knows it must be someone else and soon they're all under attack.
WHEN A KILLER CALLS is a film that you'd think would be horrible but I have to give director Peter Mervis credit for actually delivering a pretty strong film and one that certainly isn't going to be for the weak.
Normally killing a child or children is a major no no and when a film does it you know it means business.
I think fans of gore should be entertained by this thing because it's quite savage in regards to the violence and there's a lot of the run stuff going around.
With all of that said, there are still some problems in the film including a pretty boring second act.
Once all the teens get to the house things really slow down quite a bit and the 91-minute running time could have probably benefited from some of this stuff being cut out.
Another problem is that some of the performances really weren't all that believable but Kochan is decent in the lead and Mark Irvingsen is good as the killer.
WHEN A KILLER CALLS really shorts itself because many people are going to pass it up because of it being a rip of another movie but that would be a shame.
Basically a sick and depraved version of Fred Walton's "When a Stranger Calls" (1979), but not as bad as you might think.
It has the same basic plot to "When a Stranger Calls", such as a girl babysitting a child and then gets harassing phone calls from some mysterious guy which then turns threatening.
Considering that it comes from Asylum a low budget studio who are known for their less than average movies.
Some of the scenes may offend and can be pretty intense and more violent than what you'd expect it to be, but If you got nothing better to do and you're bored, give it a shot, but don't expect it to be that great..
A lot of people find this movie to be something amazing, but I can't help but feel that the people voting for this film are people upset by the fact "When a Stranger Calls" didn't live up to their horror expectations.The producer must've got the entire cast and crew to come here and make "kick-ass movie!" comments because, unfortunately, no one with human taste would find this movie to be as good as they claim it to be.Watching this movie, I just can't help but feel this is done by a 17 year old dude who just learned a couple of new camera effects.
The "special effects" in this film come up as high as weak lighting, twitchy cameras, and rain storms that doesn't even seem to cover an entire patio.
These stabbings (which looks VERY fake, by the way) just don't do for anyone anymore, it's not 1980 anymore.The characters are all predictable, and unlike it's alternate, "When a Stranger Calls" (which I think this title is only a lure for the emo-kiddies who were upset with the lack of gore from it's alternate), you have no reason to care for these characters.
The only thing this movie is missing is the shower scene that literally turns into a blood bath.I do like the idea that this movie gives no mercy to the children.
I doubt it'll start a new wave for the horror genre, but it's a good moment to look back on.The acting was...
I could easily talk about how the protagnist's, scared reactions and frightening faces come up super short but that would be like trying to prove to someone that a pickle is green.Overall, the only reason I might've given it this high of a number is because I was air-drunken enough to watch the fake ass looking slashes..
i found this movie to be mostly a P.O.S.it was low budget,but that isn't the problem.the problem is,the movie is just lame.it doesn't really make a lot of sense.yes,it does explain why things happened,but that's not what i mean.there was just no reason for it all.the movie also moved very slow.the last ice age was quicker than this.also, i think they went overboard a bit in the kills.i don't mean they were too gross,but the killer just seemed to spend too much time smashing his victim over the head,or stabbing his victim.
maybe i'm being petty,but i just didn't like the movie.the whole thing seemed like a lower rate version of "When a Stranger Calls" and maybe that was the whole point.but so what.for me "When A Stranger Kills" is a 4/10*.
For The Asylum, actually When a Killer Calls is not that bad.
By all means it is far from great, but compared to the usual schlock from The Asylum, along with I Am Omega When a Killer Calls was actually tolerable.
It does have its flaws certainly, most acting is not good, often pretty bad, though Robert Buckley's eyes are gorgeous.
However, it doesn't look too bad, you don't expect much from The Asylum in this regard but it does at least have a decently atmospheric feel to it.
The killer, played by Mark Irvingson in the best performance of the movie, is quite sadistic and exudes menace, if there was any character that was at least convincing it was certainly him.
WHEN A KILLER CALLS a TheAsylum release Starring Rebekah Kochan and Chriss Anglin "MOVIEMAKER magazine recently said this about TheAsylum movie paradigm,to piggy back your film upon other studios marketing-commercials-perhaps threats of lawsuits This is why you can have 3 War Of The Worlds( including TheAsylum w/C.Thomas Howell) make money." This is a brutal movie,We can blame the success of SAW and HOSTEL,They must be painful to sell to today's teen audience(Which a whole other article).
We were glad to see Chriss Anglin again,and the lead was impressive-REBEKAH KOCHAN,the lady is so sweet and strong in When A Killer Calls,This is most impressive after the mean-spirited friend she played in EXORCISM:THE POSSESSION OF GAIL BOWERS.
The special effects by Mili Rendler are brutal,yet real looking.Faces are contorted in a cutting fashion,and Hands get hammered(NOT DRUNK ).Two other performances we liked are Mark Irvingsen as the suspect and Sarah Hall as the other girl,Mark comes on as time-bombish and Sarah is oddly compelling to the viewer.Peter Mervis ( interviewed last time)delivers a smoother film than DEAD MEN WALKING,his first TheAsylum picture and shows the learning of a craft..
This movie is a jumpy horror flick with no meaning at all.
It looks like some 17 year-old idiot wrote this movie and a 10 year old kid shot it.
Just for your own sake, don't even think about wasting your time watching this crappy movie..
A decent slasher flick with lots of vicious killing.
The acting was your typical slasher film acting but probably about as good as When a Stranger Calls.
I have to say the characters were sub par and not very smart and killings the kids was pretty wrong but at least they didn't hold back on that.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it got me wondering about this movie and if it was really a labor of love or a labor of cash.
It is plausible that the filmmakers wanted to do a completely no-holds-barred retelling of the famous Urban Legendy/When a Stranger Calls chestnut, and if their goal was to show us things we don't expect, mission accomplished.This has to be the ONLY film I have ever seen (out of tens of thousands) that features the "realistic" on screen killing of children.
When a Killer Calls is clearly an obvious rip off to the remade 2006 film "When a Stranger Calls".
A babysitter named Trisha receives anonymous and scary phone calls late at night, asking her if she checked the child she is babysitting.
The exact same thing the stalker asks in "When a Stranger Calls".
This film opens up with a rather chilling murder scene, which also includes us seeing two young children and their mother being stabbed to death.
Probably a first in horror to actually see children being murdered on screen, it was pretty brutal.
The scenes with them had a real Laurie and Tommy from "Halloween" feel to it which was nice.Most of the call scenes involving Trisha and the killer were actually very well done and a little unsettling.
Not really gruesome, but the number of times he stabs each victim is just brutal.There is a decent revelations to the killer's identity, but the last twenty to thirty minutes of the movie is where it fails for me.
I don't need to see Trisha tied up and being tortured by watching her friends be cut and stabbed.
I also didn't think showing three kids being murdered by the killer was necessary.Overall, an average low budget horror movie.
There were some unnecessary torture/murder scenes, but some genuine creepy moments during the phone calls helps make the movie watchable at least once.5/10.
When a Killer Calls.
When a Killer Calls.
This killer is so cold-blooded and remorseless, he ties up his prey with rope, takes phone photos, and makes them wait out their execution.
Like Michael Meyers, the killer breathes across the phone when he's across the phone with Trisha, and this is the device he uses to torment her over the period of the night.
She believes that the one calling her repeatedly on the cell phone is Matt, her boyfriend.
The parents of the child Trisha's babysitting actually know the killer(which means he's a local citizen and we hear his voice which sounds surprisingly friendly)and they make the unfortunate mistake of stopping off to see if he needs assistance.
Prepare to hear a hell of a lot of ringing because the phone jingles over and over in this movie, THE ASYLUM's answer to WHEN A STRANGER CALLS which might also bring to mind SCREAM.
The killer continues to threaten Trisha on the phone until she Star 57's his ass(the killer also sends her pictures of victims he butchered).
His gal, Chrissy, is also a bit of a bad girl and when the two go into the basement, a little surprise will be in store for them, interrupting their make-out session.There's a murder similar to what you might remember from BLACK Christmas(the use of a plastic bag to suffocate a victim while he's being stabbed several times).
The killer is savage in how he beats and stabs victims, with blunt force, in furious anger, the sound effects on the soundtrack extra loud to emphasize the brutality of his actions.
Regarding the endless phone call harassments, I did keep asking myself why she just didn't silence her phone as to keep it from ringing continuously, but then the movie would lose it's purpose, the heart of the terror of the situation is the killer's menacing voice and what he says to the heroine over the course of the running time.
There's a particular scene directly lifted from WHEN A STRANGER CALLS which is more than a bit insulting.
There's included the typical staircase scene where the killer falls down the steps and the heroine must cross over him, with the usual hand grabbing ankle.
And, the killer plays with Trisha by having her rope-tied while slaughtering a victim(not to mention he rips her shirt, exposing her breasts, humiliating her).
With Rebekah Kochan(one of several in THE ASYLUM's HALLOWEEN NIGHT, another slasher which ripped off various classics including HALLOWEEN)as Trisha, Robert Buckley as Matt, Sarah Hall as Chrissy, Derek Osedach as Frank, and Mark Irvingsen as the psycho.
This came out the same year as the official remake of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS(starring Camille Bell)which proves once again that those of THE ASYLUM have no shame..
When A Killer Calls has got to be the biggest ripoff released by Asylum so far.
And I hate to say it, but this could've been more entertaining than the big-screen crapfest that was released around the same time if not for one fatal mistake -- Rather than revelling in B-movie ripoff glory, it tried to do something original.
Then it heads in another direction, and it veers away from just another dumb, fun slasher movie with a sexy "teenage" cast to a Hostel-esquire gore/borefest.I guess this falls into the "Oh well, whatever" category.
Oh well, whatever.If you like this kind of movie (dumb, cheesy, predictable, campy splatter movie with sexy cast), then you'll be fine up until the ending.
this film is basically a poor take on the old urban legend of the babysitter who gets crank calls telling her to check the children, she calls the police who trace the calls and find there coming from inside the house.
when a killer calls has a story so simplistic a little kid could have written it.
not much suspense, it becomes clear who the killer is halfway through the film.
at the beginning, when the first victim is killed it looks like a bondage fetish scene from a porn site or something.
To sum it up in a nutshell, this film was disappointing and could have been shortened by twenty minutes.The acting was sub-par, the only decent actors of the bunch being Trisha, the killer and Molly.
The story/scriptwriting was poor, the unnecessary torture/romantic scenes being dragged on for way too long and a disappointing ending.The start of the film was rather slow, the fake-looking gore not much of interest.
Trisha arrived at the house, and there was some premise for a good storyline.Trisha started to receive the threatening phone calls, which heightened the suspense.
This momentary suspense, the best feature of the movie began to build, but then the friends crashed the place, wrecking all potential suspense/horror in the film.The plot then becomes obtuse from here on.
This scene was dragged on and unnecessary.The killer then makes her way for Trisha and ties her up.
She feels like someone is watching her walking, yet HANGS UP with her friend?!?
She assumes it's her boyfriend calling her cell phone all the times it's really the killer?
She looks at the phone screen a lot, yet doesn't know it's NOT him?!?