One Missed Call - Review

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Rated: PG-13

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Release Date: 2008-01-04

Starring: Ed Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Ana Claudia Talancon, Ray Wise, Azura Skye, Johnny Lewis, Jason Beghe, Margaret Cho

Directed by Eric Valette

Produced by Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Scott Kroopf, Jennie Lew

Written by Andrew Klavan

Visit the movie's Official Site!

Reviewed by Josh Tyler : 2008-01-04 17:14:47

One Missed Call, as you might have guessed, is yet another remake of a Japanese horror film about ghosts who make murder appointments using modern technology. Apparently in addition to fearing Godzilla, Tokyo denizens have real issues with anything that’s powered by electricity. Next up for American remaking: a movie about a ghost who kills people with electric blankets. Meanwhile, I staunchly refuse to be afraid of my cell phone, or at least if I’m going to be afraid of it, I need better reasons than the ones given in this script, adapted by Andrew Klavan.

It stars Shannyn Sossamon and Ed Burns as two people with no personality inexplicably involved in some sort of curse which has nothing to do with them . Shannyn plays Beth Raymond, a college co-ed who dresses in clothes stolen out of her grandmother’s closet, and whose friends are mysteriously dying. Before their death, each of them receives a phone call, from themselves, and they hear themselves die. The time of the call predicts their death, and so while they wait for the ghost to show up and kill them, they all hallucinate creepy crawlies. It’s not long before Beth gets such a call, and so she enlists the help of an easily convinced police detective named Jack, played by Ed Burns, to keep her from ending up in the morgue.

The script is terrible and the characters within it barely more than cardboard cutouts waiting to be killed. The curse, is ridiculous and never actually makes any sense, even at the end, when it’s explained to us. There’s no real reason for what’s happening, even though the movie spends most of its running time trying to find one. The answer it does come up with, simply doesn’t fit. As for being scary, forget it. The closest thing One Missed Call had to offer are cheap camera tricks. For instance, the moment in the film that seemed to get the biggest reaction out of the audience I saw it with, has Sossamon reacting to a noise, jumping, and turning to reveal Ed Burns calmly standing behind her depressing an inhaler… for no particular reason. If that’s your kind of horror movie, then One Missed Call might be for you.

My personal theory here is that this is a movie primarily constructed to sell ringtones. The ghost uses a signature ring to call people, and assuming anyone liked this piece of shit, I’m sure whichever corporate conglomerate it was that had hand in making this thing will make a mint off of selling it for suckers to put on their Nokia. I hope everyone who sees this movie runs right out and buys it, so I’ll know who to avoid engaging in conversation. I have an excuse. I had to see it. You on the other hand chose to see it, and then went home to download a crummy overpriced ringtone so you could remember all the fun you had seeing it. Not only did you choose to see an obviously awful movie, you enjoyed it. Whoever you are, I’m not talking to you.

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Kiesha
February 22, 2009 at 22:35

I understood the movie..
until the end..
Like the last 2 minutes..
Can u help me!!!..
I dont understand the ending

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carlie madison
November 29, 2008 at 14:44

Agreed, this movie sucked. The ending was a big let down. It was good for a bit, but then I started to feel lost. There were just alot of things that didn't make sense.
What was the whole deal about her cigarette burning mom and the letters? What was the purpose of that? Then the first victim was ellie's mom, what the hell was she doing hiding in the air vents during a fire? I'm sorry, but didn't the red candy look like a marble? Where did the sister even come from? I didn't know there was a sister until they showed the nanny cam scene. Someone break it down for me...
I think they need to come out with the unedited version or add the extras reel. It's like the ring and the grudge mushed together with the scary masked guy from the saw. A sequel? Why bother.

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laura
November 13, 2008 at 09:32

omg this film was the best i have ever seen.
i love it :)

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Dave
November 2, 2008 at 01:43

Well, this movie was definately not good,,, but all the people complaining that it was a bad movie probably paid to go see it in theaters (fail), and probably love movies like pulse, quarantine, and other pseudo horror movies that have absolutely no substance. loud noises and 1/8 of a second clips of some cheap gore is not horror. the truly sad thing about this movie being remade, is that that people will probably assume that the original is just as bad as this blasphemous american remake. when in actuality, the original by Takashi Miiike (one of the best horror directors ever) , dispite being nothing like his norm, is a very well made movie.

anywho, high five america for remaking a japanese horror movie that was DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

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pam:D
October 28, 2008 at 19:01

I TOTALLY LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!!!COM'ON PPL U KNO U LIKED IT 2:} JUST BECAUSE YA DIDNT GET IT WELL DONT WRITE SOOO MUCH CRAP ON IT!!!!!! SO YEAH SAY WHAT U WANT LIE ALL U WANT N FALLOW THE LEADERS A**!!!!!

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sally
August 29, 2008 at 19:47

i just finished watching the movie and wow it really sucked and the ending uh it was so horrible that after i saw it i just had to see if everyone agreed hive me a brake the first one is so much beter. oh yea and ren if the movie is good your not supposed to have to think about it its just good

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Sumitsu
August 18, 2008 at 04:23

OMG! This movie was a flaming pile of excrement! I felt bad for the original after watching half of this crock! I KNEW when I saw the trailer for this thing and heard that cheezy ring tone that this was going to be a mockery of the original flick, AND I WAS RIGHT!

This, you guys is very stupid. It's hammy and doesn't even stick to the actual story. It's so chopped up and laced with horrible twists and turns, it almost angers you to watch. Please, let this movie sit on the shelves and rot as the piece of crap it is.

And to you Rem, this isn't following the crowd, This is telling the truth, just like the rest of the people here!

See the original, its better!

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omoyemi
July 9, 2008 at 23:19

Yeah i totally agree a sorry excuse for a movie, on the bright side i got a really good laugh out of it. Was like a mis-labelled comedy. Seriously especially when the 'ghosts's mum 'climbs'on her in the vent thingy. The effects were classically hilariously dumb... glad i never wasted my good money watched it off a friends dvd.. so imagine how she feels. By the way if anyof y'all want a free dvd copy holla aiight!

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Ren
July 3, 2008 at 16:13

alright i've read these reviews and half the stuff ya'll r sayin is agreeing to follow the crowd.which is stupid and retarded and not smart.so if u really did like the movie the say so cause i did i put a whole paragraph
on here and ya'll still r sayin crap.and i know somewhere u really loved it.so all i'm trying to say is don't follow the frickin' crowd!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

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Ren
July 1, 2008 at 23:57

I found the movie absolutely amazing sure it wasn't a horror persay but it was a thriller and it kept me on the edge of my seat.And i bet the actors and actresses did have a few ridiculous moments but it was worth it.So yeah whoever you are that wrote this can watch the movie and try to understand it.It was an amazing movie that i watch every night and i still can't get enough of it.All i'm trying to say is you have to get the concept of it in order to0 understand.Not just watch it cause you have to watch cause you want to be able to feel the way the people felt b4 they died.I mean come on it was amazi8ng and is definately one of my favorites.

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hola
May 11, 2008 at 18:56

THIS MOVIE WAS THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!

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cindy
May 7, 2008 at 17:31

Go see the Japenese Verison!!!its so much bettter. american verison is complete shyt.. and the acting.... give me a break.

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sarah
May 3, 2008 at 18:11

worst movie ever!

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moviereviewer
April 30, 2008 at 22:57

Ok this movie freaked me out , ending was DUMB ! , Yeea I know cheesy im scared buy im allowed to be . I dont enjoy horror movies late at night :P

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George
April 29, 2008 at 15:07

Excellent Movie!

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AL BELL
April 29, 2008 at 02:11

this movie is DUMB STUPID RETARED BORING SHITTY LAME INCOMPATANT UNAMUSSING WASTFULL =(tape, time, cast, papper for scripts, lighting, electricity used to make and view film, make up , toys, cameras, cell phones, speacial effects, acting, speech, words, dictonary, life, food, internet, stages, clothing) an utter waste of bordom ... id rather sit in the corning with glass in my toe than to watch this film .... its hould be detroyed immediatly and snatched from all stores in all forms... the govornment should put this in restricted areas where they hide aliens ..... this is how much i hate this movie !!

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Fred
April 28, 2008 at 21:06

This is why I do not listen to reviews. I read a review once saying that The Sixth Sense was bad, after watching it, I learned not to listen to them. Anyways, back to this one. I myself enjoyed watching it. It was predictable yes, how can it not be? Someone dies, their phone calls someone else, of course you know whats going to happen next. It really isnt that bad of a movie, until the end. To me the ending makes sense, but it takes alot to put everything together. But to me, your supposed to be satisfied, scared, what have you, at the end. Not to analyze it trying to figure out what happened.

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Sabrina
April 27, 2008 at 22:53

Thank god I checked reviews before I wasted my time and money renting this on PPV. Thanks.

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Remy
February 25, 2008 at 21:48

Wow so much hate to this movie. I actually liked it a little bit. Sure, not the best and a lot of things were predictable, but I like the concept. Also it had its moments that scared me a little bit. The acting was ok and I never noticed the microphone. Also the ringtone in it was very cool. I have it on my phone. So I would say if you enjoy american remakes of japanese horror movies, and I usually do youmight want to check this movie out. I give it three out of five stars.

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erin
February 15, 2008 at 21:51

woooww. i have never seen a worse movie, ever.
i actully saw this in the theater (and wasted my money) i might add, and the entire theater was cracking up the entire time, i swear this movie is a joke, no one in there right mind could have seriusly thought this movie was good let alone scary. heres a little bit of what people were saying while in the theater watching this movie, --are you kidding me? alright wheres Ashton, were obviously being punk'd, i want my money back, lets go i cant take this much longer, and i think they the director of this movie deserves an award- he just invented a new form of torture.-- yeaah this movie is THAT bad so i advise you not to see it.
i really thought this movie was going to be good
but they took a pretty cool idea and totally ruined it
completely and 100%.
congrats. c:

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eva
January 26, 2008 at 17:52

is this movie actually this bad?? im gonna see it in 1 hour...and i think i should change my mind because after all the reviews i read.....this sounds HORRIBLE! there wasn't ONE good review!!!!!! Mayybe i should see cloverfield instead of this!~

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kealoha
January 22, 2008 at 03:10

okay, i just watched this movie like an hour ago. to tell you the truth, i didn't understand why exactly the cat died in the beginning. after the first person died i could tell who the next person was going to die. it was predictable. it still had those little jumpy moments. but the ending really sucked (:

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Allie
January 19, 2008 at 16:19

This movie was really scary and kind of stupid

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nellie
January 18, 2008 at 15:05

so yeah i am about to go see this movie in a little while and i was totally freaked. but now im not so sure i am :) thanks guys the stuff about the microphones showing and the really horrible fake masks that really did help :) i will write later and post a (bad?) comment about it.

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alvin
January 17, 2008 at 00:42

really!

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