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The Call

The Call

There are 188 million 911 calls a year. This one made it personal.

201394 minRMidcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Director
Brad Anderson
Starring
Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund

Jordan Turner is an experienced 911 operator but when she makes an error in judgment and a call ends badly, Jordan is rattled and unsure if she can continue. But when teenager Casey Welson is abducted in the back of a man's car and calls 911, Jordan is the one called upon to use all of her experience, insights and quick thinking to help Casey escape, and not just to save her, but to make sure the man is brought to justice.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Call?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Call to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Call?

The Call earns 8 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Seriously scary.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is The Call worth watching?

The Call's Midcredits score is the 70th percentile of all films, from 255K ratings across 6 sources. 64% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

70th percentile

Better received than 70% of films

72nd percentile among Crime70th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)66th
Approval (how many liked it)71st

66 /100

66th percentile of all films

69th percentile among Crime66th percentile among 2010s

Critics 51 · Audience 67

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

64% liked it

71st percentile of all films

72nd percentile among Crime72nd percentile among 2010s
64% rated it 7–1036% rated it 1–6

Critics 43% · Audience 65%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 11 noms overall

97th percentile

255K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Crime97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$13M
Opening weekend$17M
Domestic gross$52M
Worldwide gross$69M

Returned 5.3× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film has a gripping, tense first two acts that collapse under the weight of an implausible and disappointing final act.

Fans praised

  • Relentless tension in the first hour
  • Halle Berry's committed, emotionally invested performance
  • Insightful look into 911 operator procedures

Detractors panned

  • Contrived, illogical third act
  • Protagonist's out-of-character vigilante turn

What stands out

Acting75

Halle Berry's raw, committed turn; Breslin effective as terrified victim

TensionDivisive75

Nail-biting first hour; tension dissipates in third act

Atmosphere70

Gripping claustrophobia and dread in the trunk scenes

PacingDivisive60

Breathless first hour; final act drags and derails

CharactersDivisive45

Jordan's inconsistency in third act; villain underdeveloped

Plot and storyDivisive40

Strong premise undermined by absurd, derivative third act

Originality35

Fresh 911-center angle, but otherwise familiar Silence of the Lambs knockoff

EndingDivisive25

Universally panned as illogical, out-of-character, and unsatisfying

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users even

Watch experience

What is The Call like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its life-or-death premise with earnest gravity, never undercutting the tension.
The rideSustained tension and dread throughout, with the most intense stretch in the cellar climax as Jordan confronts the killer.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically with a prologue establishing the protagonist's trauma, then a cut to six months later, and follows the rescue in real time.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe grim conclusion and the protagonist's vigilante justice leave a lingering unease, though some may find it cathartic.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA 911 operator races against time to rescue a kidnapped teenager from a serial killer, with her past failure adding urgency.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRevengeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Revenge · 4% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsSurvival
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a 9-1-1 operator's guilt over a past failure drives her to seek private retribution against a serial killer.
StanceThe film celebrates Jordan's vigilante justice, framing her revenge as a morally satisfying corrective to her earlier failure.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · John Debney
SettingLos Angeles 9-1-1 call center and surrounding suburban/rural areas
MusicJohn Debney's score is a propulsive, synthetic-orchestral blend that heightens the phone-call tension.

Content guide

Is The Call okay for kids?

R

The Call is rated R: “Rated R for violence, disturbing content and some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (77/100), sexual content at moderate (36/100), language at moderate (52/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at severe (97/100). Overall it is heavier than 70% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • JapanG
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil16
  • Czechia18+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceΚ-18
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands16
  • RO18+
  • Russia18+
  • SK15
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all filmsHeavier than 70% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 60%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 32%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Call have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Call?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Halle Berry
as Jordan Turner
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Abigail Breslin
as Casey Welson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Morris Chestnut
as Officer Paul Phillips
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Eklund
as Michael Foster
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
David Otunga
as Officer Jake Devans
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Imperioli
as Alan Denado
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Justina Machado
as Rachel
José Zúñiga
as Marco
Roma Maffia
as Maddy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Evie Thompson
as Leah Templeton
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Call?

Movies like The Call include P2 (2007), Fractured (2019) and No One Lives (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Brad Anderson, and most are stories about psychopaths.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its story type: survival thriller. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Call?

3.4K other films share the rarest tag below, up against: serial killer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.