One Missed Call

Yumi Nakamura, portrayed by Kou Shivasaki, is a charming teenager whose time at university revolves more around her friendships than her studies in psychology. One of the few classes she does attend is dedicated to children’s psychology; however, her attention frequently strays. An unsettling premonition hangs over her, hinting that something sinister is on the horizon.

During a dinner with her friends, they all exchange phone numbers, leading to an eerie turn of events. When Yumi and her friend Yoko Okazaki, brought to life by Anna Nagata, check their phones later, Yoko receives a puzzling missed call. To her horror, the voicemail reveals her own voice uttering, “It’s beginning to rain,” quickly followed by a blood-curdling scream. Strangely, the date on the message is set for tomorrow. Though they dismiss it, tragedy strikes when Yoko inexplicably dies moments after the call. The last things Yumi hears are the chilling words, “It’s beginning to rain,” accompanied by Yoko’s anguished scream.

The following day, Yumi learns of an urban legend among her peers, suggesting that individuals start receiving phone calls detailing the exact date and time of their impending deaths. In a desperate search for answers, she meets Kenji Kawai, played by Atsushi Ida, who has also received one of these ominous calls. Witnessing his death firsthand leaves Yumi in a state of disbelief; he is forcibly pulled into an elevator shaft just as he begins to take her warnings seriously.

As the events unfold, Yumi’s roommate, Natsumi Konishi, enacted by Kazue Fukiishi, also receives a phone call. Meanwhile, Yumi befriends Hiroshi Yamashita, performed by Shin’ichi Tsutsumi, who reveals that his sister, Ritsuko, was the very first victim of these cursed calls. While visiting a hospital, Yumi’s memory triggers when she hears the sound of an asthma pump, reminiscent of the moment Kenji met his demise. This discovery leads them to investigate the asthma victims in the hospital, zeroing in on Marie Mizunuma, portrayed by Mariko Tsutsui, and her children, Mimiko and Nanako. It becomes apparent that Marie suffered from Munchausen Syndrome, a severe mental illness compelling parents to harm their children for attention as caregivers. Driven by the desire to prevent further tragedy, Yumi and her friends embark on a quest to rescue Natsumi from a similar fate.

Their investigation takes an unsettling turn when a paranormal journalist convinces a frightened Natsumi to participate in a live exorcism on television. What begins as a desperate act descends into chaos when an unseen presence is caught crawling along the walls. Natsumi’s final moments are excruciating, her bones cruelly contorted while a voice eerily reassures her, “Don’t worry, we’ll take you to hospital.” She dies with a red sweet on her lips.

Now, Yumi finds herself as the next target of the mysterious calls. The group conjectures that it might be the ghost of Marie, seeking notoriety for her tragic story. When Yumi visits an abandoned hospital, she faces the ghostly presence that torments her with visions of dead fetuses in glass jars. Here, she discovers Marie’s charred remains, gripping a mobile phone. In a desperate struggle for survival, the corpse launches an attack, yet spares Yumi when she expresses remorse for her past mistakes.

Hiroshi delves deeper, uncovering a chilling truth: Marie’s children were not innocent victims. It was Mimiko who tormented Nanako, ensuring silence by offering her sweets after inflicting harm. When Marie learned the truth, she hastened Nanako to the hospital, leaving Mimiko alone to suffer during an asthma attack, which ultimately led to Mimiko’s tragic death. Hiroshi rushes to warn Yumi just as she relaxes in the shower, unaware that time is slipping away, as clocks begin turning backward, marking the moment Mimiko aims to claim Yumi’s life.

In an interpretation of the harrowing conclusion, it seems Mimiko may have succeeded in killing Yumi. Assuming her guise, Mimiko’s ghost assaults Hiroshi, leaving him grievously injured and hospitalized. In her disguise, she plants a kiss on him, sealing an unholy bond with a sweet tucked between his lips, but curiously refrains from ending his life. Such events leave the narrative shrouded in ambiguity, provoking questions about the true nature of guilt and innocence in a tangled web of tragedy.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 21:00