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When a Stranger Calls Back

Play trailer Poster for When a Stranger Calls Back R 1993 1h 34m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A retired detective and a crisis-center counselor hunt a killer stalking a coed.

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Tony Scott Variety The telefilm is a good rattler, despite some logic dropouts. Mar 4, 2019 Full Review Paul Lê Bloody Disgusting Fred Walton’s less familiar sequel When a Stranger Calls Back is a remarkable successor in more ways than one. Rated: 5/5 Jul 21, 2023 Full Review Paul Freitag-Fey Daily Grindhouse The oddness behind the final reels may undermine some of the carefully-considered character development the film expertly sets up. Aug 2, 2019 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy As with its predecessor, the opening set-piece is the best part of the movie. Rated: 2/4 Jun 8, 2019 Full Review Mike McGranaghan Aisle Seat It's not particularly good, but it's not terrible, either. If you're in the mood for a lightweight thriller that doesn't require a lot of thought (or your full attention), it'll do just fine. Rated: 2/4 May 29, 2019 Full Review C.H. Newell Father Son Holy Gore Fred Walton's sequel nearly hits all the same eerie notes as the original with a different, weirder story and some of the same characters. Rated: 4/5 May 1, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (149) audience reviews
A.L.Jude P Somewhat creepy yet a pragmatic thriller. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/03/23 Full Review jona i More thrilling throughout than the previous installment, though not as exciting as the parts that worked in the previous installment. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Fourteen years after When a Stranger Calls, this TV movie brings back Cheryl Wilson, Carol Kane and Charles Durning as Mrs. Schifrin, Jill Johnson and John Clifford, as well as director Fred Walton. The opening of this movie is great. Julia Jenz (Jill Schoelen, an unsung scream queen) is babysitting when she hears a knock on the door. Smart enough to not let anyone in, she tells the man on the other side of the door that she can call a tow truck for him but won't let him in. When she does try to call, the lines are cut and as she begins lying to the mysterious voice, she realizes that someone is coming in and out of the house. It's too late — the children she was watching have been abducted. Five years later and Julia is still traumatized, with whoever stole the children continuing to break into her apartment. She's helped by counselor Jill Johnson, but the constant abuse causes her to try and kill herself with a self-inflicted head wound. Julia and John Clifford decide to figure out who the stalker is, a man who can throw his voice and has special makeup and clothing that allows him to blend into the walls of Julia's apartment. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Honestly, I was expecting this to be a disaster, but it definitely wasn't that. The acting is decent, the story is interesting and the final act is possibly the best of the 3 films. It's not a perfect movie, but it's still a decent sequel. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review steve d It doesn't do much new, but it is great to see these characters again and it is really engaging. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Took a while to get going, but a not bad sequel. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/08/19 Full Review Read all reviews
When a Stranger Calls Back

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A retired detective and a crisis-center counselor hunt a killer stalking a coed.
Director
Fred Walton
Producer
Tom Rowe
Screenwriter
Fred Walton
Production Co
Krost/Chapin Productions
Rating
R, TV-14 (V)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 20, 2018
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Stereo