VOD from the Dead - NIGHT CALLER (2022)
I’m old enough to remember when 900 numbers reigned alongside telephone psychics, the most famous of which was Miss Cleo. The words “call me now for your free reading” are burned into my brain like a clairvoyant cattle brand and I can’t help but say them in her Caribbean accent. While many of those 900 numbers are now long gone, the world of paid psychics is still very much a thing. There have been exposés on how psychics will scam people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, preying exclusively on the hopeless and downtrodden by making false promises intended to soothe. While I won’t discount the possibility that there could be people who have such abilities, the skeptic in me is still holding out for better evidence to reconsider my position. Nonetheless, all of this talk about psychics is a perfect tee-up for the review of 2022’s NIGHT CALLER from 123 GO FILMS. Directed by genre veteran CHAD FERRIN and premiering on VOD streaming Friday, May 13, 2022, NIGHT CALLER is framed as a throwback to the grindhouse era of filmmaking which is a claim that many films these days try to make. The question is of course, is NIGHT CALLER a revival of the 42nd street fare it harkens to, or is it as phony as those 900 numbers from the 90s?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Telephone psychic Clementine Carter is pulled into a complex web of mystery when she receives a call from a serial killer. Predicting his murders before he commits them puts her into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Enlisting the aid of her invalid father and clairvoyant co-worker, they must use their unique abilities to stay one step ahead of a maniac whose unspeakable acts in the present are nothing compared to his past and future.
HOW IS IT?
NIGHT CALLER is an interesting film because it feels like different parts of other movies put together in a familiar, but intriguing way. Lots of movies try to do this, and not all of them succeed. For the most part, NIGHT CALLER hits it out of the park. NIGHT CALLER is one part Giallo, another part grindhouse slasher, and some parts a DePalma-esque thriller. While there is quite a bit of overlap across those genres, NIGHT CALLER never feels derivative or overly redundant because it blends all of these things together so well. Adorned atop all of this is a layer of gore that is extremely effective in being gruesome and believable and in some cases a little too effective. One scene, in particular, reminded me of one of the more subtle death scenes in SE7VEN, and the combination of the visual effects and the sound design creates an experience that would make Fulci’s Donald Duck killer proud. The gore is plentiful, and yet, it doesn’t dominate the film and overpower the narrative. Too often horror films rely on shock value to brush over poor plotting or bad storytelling. NIGHT CALLER delivers on both fronts with the right amount of each in a crisp 83-minutes, just like it should be.
As is common with films that follow the late-cycle Giallo formula, there are some inconsistencies in the narrative. The logic around how the psychic powers work, and who feels a bit uneven at times. Especially when something crucial about the killer is revealed it makes you wonder why they would go to such lengths when they wouldn’t have to. While it doesn’t bring the movie down, it does keep it from achieving its full potential. So if you are okay with some logical leaps and genre silliness you will still be highly entertained with what’s going on. Alongside that, if you’re into playing character actor bingo there is a veritable treasure trove of stars to spot along the way. Some familiars from previous CHAD FERRIN films include BAI LING, ROBERT MIANO, and KELLI MARONEY to name a few. In a way, that’s also part of what makes NIGHT CALLER work so well. The actors are totally dialed into their characters, and they play these characters well. Their familiarity with the genre from previous roles makes the experience of NIGHT CALLER that much more authentic to its grindhouse sleaze slasher roots. On a technical level, great attention was paid to making the color palette and locations feel like they come from an era long ago even if this takes place in the present or some slightly altered version of the present. A mistake lots of indie filmmakers make is that they try to make their film look like it’s from a certain time with filters and digital editing, and while I can’t say for sure if any of that was done here I can say the look of a grindhouse film seems to be authentically intact. A light puke-green yellow tint seems to be caked on the film just like you would imagine a 42nd street film would be, figuratively speaking of course. Overall, NIGHT CALLER is a great movie for fans of sleazely thrillers, and that sure as hell is me.
LAST RITES
A genuine grindhouse-era slasher flick, NIGHT CALLER delivers an entertaining and gruesome story that isn’t perfect, but it makes up for it in spades with great character actors and solid visual effects.
THE GORY DETAILS
Directed By
Written By
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Where can you watch it?
NIGHT CALLER will be available on a number of digital and cable platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, iNDemand and DISH, beginning May 13th.
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