Fred Walton (1949– ) is an American writer-director. He is best known for his work in the horror genre, particularly for "When a Stranger Calls" (1979) and "April Fool's Day" (1986).
Biography from TMDB.
- January 1, 1949 (77)
- Maryland, USA
- Director and writer
- 8 on MovieCove · 18 credits in all
What are Fred Walton's films like?
Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5
A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 3
Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 4
Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 0 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 2
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet2
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Fred Walton's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Fred Walton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
18 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
When a Stranger Calls(2006)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all filmsThe Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
The Stepford Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Courtyard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Dead Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Price She Paid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Homewrecker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Murder in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Trapped (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
I Saw What You Did(1988)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Rosary Murders(1987)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
April Fool's Day(1986)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Miami Vice(1984)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Hadley's Rebellion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
When a Stranger Calls(1979)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Sitter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 18 titles from 1976 to 2006.
Biggest box office
When a Stranger Calls (2006)
Highest rated
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Most popular right now
When a Stranger Calls (2006)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Fred Walton's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 38th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 41st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Fred Walton's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Fred Walton work with?
People who share at least 2 of Fred Walton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steve Feke shares the most, 3.
Writers
- Steve FekeShared titles: When a Stranger Calls (2006), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 3 shared titles with Steve Feke
Actors
- Charles DurningShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), The Rosary Murders (1987), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 3 shared titles with Charles Durning
- Carol KaneShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Carol Kane
Composers and editors
- Dana KaproffShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), I Saw What You Did (1988), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 3 shared titles with Dana Kaproff
- Sam VitaleShared titles: The Rosary Murders (1987), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Sam Vitale
Producers
- Barry GreenfieldShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), I Saw What You Did (1988)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Greenfield
- Barry KrostShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Krost
- Doug ChapinShared titles: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), When a Stranger Calls (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Doug Chapin
