Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2013

Halle Berry’s a 911 operator already shaken by the recent death of a young kidnapped caller. She takes a call from a generally irritating Abigail Breslin, who’s been locked in the trunk of a car, likely by the same killer, and the game’s afoot. While Berry stays at her call-center post using only her professional smarts, this is a mildly effective suspense thriller. But then the filmmakers, unable to resist bringing their star into the action, blow the novelty of their own premise by having her leave her desk and go after the bad guy herself, and it all devolves into insultingly stupid serial-killer drivel. Japanese title: The Call: Kinkyu Tsuhou Shirei Shitsu. (94 min