Don’t Answer the Phone!

Kirk Smith kills a nurse in an opening scene, establishing his brutal modus operandi. He then strips the corpse, setting a lurid precedent for the violence to follow. The early murder introduces the sadistic killer terrorizing Los Angeles.

Between murders, Smith performs twisted religious ceremonies and has imaginary conversations with his dead father. He weeps during these moments, revealing the depth of his disturbed psyche. These interludes hint at his fixation and inner turmoil.

Smith calls Dr. Lindsay Gale's radio show, adopting a Spanish accent and claiming headaches and blackouts. The on-air contact draws attention to the enigmatic killer and begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse dynamic. Gale becomes a focal point of his growing fixation.

Smith tails one of Gale's patients, Carol, from her therapy session to her home, where he tortures and murders her. The attack demonstrates his calculated approach and targets Gale's circle. The act heightens the sense that Gale is in his crosshairs.

While connected to Gale's show, he murders a sex worker, forcing Gale to hear the victim's cries. The live horror weaponizes media to terrorize both Gale and the audience. The act cements his pattern of using public spaces to amplify his crimes.

Two detectives, Hatcher and McCabe, are assigned to track the strangler. Their dynamic begins with friction when McCabe questions Gale in an unsympathetic manner, signaling clashes within the investigation. The duo's partnership must navigate personal tensions and professional duty.

McCabe intervenes to stop one of Gale's patients from committing suicide, earning her gratitude and softening her view of him. A tentative bond forms between Gale and McCabe, hinting at romance amid the case. The near-tragedy raises Gale's trust in the investigators.

Hatcher and McCabe visit a whore-and-drug-house in search of a witness who saw the killer leaving a scene. The pimp and drug dealer attacks them, and they end up shooting him dead without obtaining crucial testimony. The failed interrogation leaves the trail cold for the moment.

The killer leaves a portfolio of photographs at a murder scene, which the detectives show to Sam Gluckman, a local pornography dealer. Gluckman identifies the images as the work of Kirk Smith and recalls Smith's past high-quality porn connections. The identification sharpens the focus on Smith as the suspect.

During a search of Smith's apartment, investigators find photographs of Dr. Gale, confirming she is his next target. The discovery escalates the urgency of locating Smith and protecting Gale. The case tightens around the psychologist and her circle.

Smith invades Dr. Gale's home, ties her up, and terrorizes her for hours while ranting about his childhood. The home invasion marks a climactic escalation in his obsession with Gale. Gale endures a prolonged, fear-driven confrontation with her would-be killer.

McCabe arrives just in time to rescue Gale from Smith's assault. A protracted struggle erupts as they attempt to subdue the killer. Gale's safety hinges on the detective's timely intervention.

In the climactic clash, McCabe shoots Smith multiple times, including in the back. Smith staggers toward a pool, where he expires, bringing a violent arc to a close. The killer's defeat is hard-won and brutal.

The film ends with Smith's bullet-riddled body floating in the pool and McCabe snarling 'Adios, creep!' The closing image leaves a stark impression of the killer's reign ending in a pool of water and fumes of vengeance. The taunt reinforces the film's chilling tone.