It's been a while since I watched a good Korean Horror/Thriller so I was excited to see this. It may not be perfect but it won't disappoint fans of the genre. "The Call" plays on "when the past meets the future" tropes but I think the story is really fun (if you find creepy scares fun) and pretty original. It stars Park Shin Hye as Seo Yeon, who returns home resentfully to care for her sick mother. She loses her phone on the way there and so she starts using her landline phone at home. That's when things start to get interesting.

Park Shin Hye is good. I have found her performances to be a little boring lately, but she delivers on the tears and scared gasps necessary. She doesn't necessarily bring anything special to the role, but she does play it well. In contrast,
Jeon Jong Seo as Oh Yeong Sook is amazing! It's hard to say too much without giving the story away but she is the highlight and true star of this film. I will also give an honorable mention to Lee El for being just the right amount of sinister as Yeong Sook's mother. I loved how mysterious the past scenes were, especially in the beginning, but some of the beginning phone calls may seem like they drag for a horror movie. Just trust that it will all come together and the pace will definitely pick up to feel more like a traditional horror movie.

The rest of the cast is great too, although they definitely play up some of the campy and cheesy moments. It was nice to see actors I love in bit parts (like Oh Jung Se) too. Another cheesy aspect is the direction at times which relied on some pretty corny special effects. It didn't ruin it for me, they were still effective, but it made it less scary.

Would I watch this again? Yes! This is the kind of story that makes me want to rewatch it after knowing the ending. It's also fun to yell at the screen at all the stupid choices made and it doesn't lose that fun with repeat viewing. I admit that part of the story is slightly confusing and may be inconsistent, but I think it's well-told all the way through to the credits.

Overall, I can see this becoming a horror classic. It's not the best I've seen but it's memorable and fun, especially if you love amazing villains like I do! It's not too predictable and definitely delivers on thrilling and frightening moments. There's lots of violence but most of the gore is implied, which I prefer. If you look for flaws in the story timeline you can definitely find some, but I chose to just accept the fun of the story instead, especially the end. I say grab some gummy bear heads and enjoy the ride. Also, like a twisted "It's a wonderful life" this may even make you appreciate the life you have a little more. It will definitely make you think twice about talking to strangers on the phone.