The Call

The Call

Year: 2020

Runtime: 95 min

Language: Korean

Director: Timothy Woodward Jr.

Echo Score: 85
Horror

A frantic 911 call connects two women separated by time. One caller is trapped in a terrifying past, while the other struggles to survive in the present. As the connection deepens, they discover a shared torment and must confront the disturbing events that bind them. Their fight for freedom intertwines past and present, blurring the lines between what is real and what is a haunting echo.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Call (2020)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Call (2020). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1999, 2019

The film spans two distinct time periods, 1999 and 2019. In 1999, the traumatic past of Young-sook is revealed, culminating in her tragic fate, while 2019 showcases Seo-yeon's present, filled with the consequences of their intertwined lives.

Location

rural hospital, childhood home

The movie takes place predominantly in a rural hospital where Kim Seo-yeon visits her ailing mother, and in her dilapidated childhood home where significant events unfold. The childhood home is laden with memories and secrets that help connect two timelines, making it a pivotal location in the narrative.

🏥 Hospital 🏡 Home

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:20

Main Characters – The Call (2020)

Meet the key characters of The Call (2020), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kim Seo-yeon

Seo-yeon is a 28-year-old woman grappling with her family's painful history. Her journey toward helping Young-sook reveals her strength and determination, while also exposing her vulnerabilities and feelings of guilt related to her father's tragic past.

👩‍🦰 Protagonist 😢 Guilt

Oh Young-sook

Young-sook is a tragic character, trapped in an abusive environment and ultimately becomes a reflection of the choices made on both sides. Her interactions with Seo-yeon expose her desperation and darkness, leading to her horrific actions as she seeks to change her fate.

👩‍🦲 Antagonist 🚫 Abuse

Eun-ae (Seo-yeon's mother)

Eun-ae is portrayed as a loving yet flawed mother whose past actions inadvertently contribute to the tragic outcomes. Her relationship with Seo-yeon highlights the theme of familial bonds and the lengths one will go to protect their loved ones.

👩‍👧 Mother ❤️ Love

Sung-ho (the local strawberry farmer)

Sung-ho serves as a symbol of normalcy and innocence within the story. His character intertwines with the lives of Seo-yeon and Young-sook, ultimately marking the impacts of violence and trauma brought upon by their choices.

🍓 Farmer 🙁 Tragedy

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:20

Major Themes – The Call (2020)

Explore the central themes of The Call (2020), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Time Travel

The concept of time travel is central to the film, as Seo-yeon and Young-sook communicate across two critical years. Their ability to alter past events creates a complex web of consequences, raising questions about fate and free will.

🖤 Darkness

The theme of darkness permeates the movie, exploring the sinister influences of abuse, revenge, and the haunting consequences of one's choices. Young-sook's transformation into a killer exemplifies how pain can twist a person's identity.

👨‍👧 Family

Family dynamics play a crucial role in the characters’ motivations. Seo-yeon's guilt over her father's death and her bond with her mother underline the complexities of familial love, leading to choices that significantly impact their lives.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 20:20

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Time Paradox Horror Movies like The Call

Where attempts to change history only deepen the characters' nightmarish reality.If you enjoyed the mind-bending dread of The Call, explore these movies that also feature characters trapped by the horrific consequences of altering time. This collection focuses on stories where changing the past makes the present worse, creating a terrifying loop of cause and effect and a palpable sense of inescapable doom.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often begin with a discovery—a means to communicate with or travel to the past. The initial goal is to prevent a tragedy, but each intervention creates a new, often more horrifying, timeline. The narrative structure is typically nonlinear, showing the ripple effects of these changes, and culminates in the protagonist facing a paradoxical truth: their only hope for survival might require embracing or even causing the very horror they sought to avoid.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a core narrative engine: the terrifying irony of time manipulation. They blend high-concept sci-fi or supernatural premises with intense psychological horror, creating a unique feeling of claustrophobia within a seemingly infinite expanse of time. The tone is consistently dark, the emotional weight is heavy, and the endings are often bleak or ambiguous, reinforcing the theme of fate's cruel inevitability.

Psychological Horror Movies with Shifting Realities like The Call

Stories where the protagonist's sense of reality is systematically dismantled.For viewers who liked the unnerving, reality-bending terror of The Call, this list features films that excel at psychological claustrophobia. These movies trap their protagonists in situations where reality is unreliable, creating a deeply unsettling and anxious experience focused on survival against an enemy that may be external, internal, or both.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative journey in these films is one of escalating disorientation. A protagonist, often already vulnerable, is placed in a situation where their perception cannot be trusted. The environment or a malevolent force actively gaslights them, blurring the lines between memory, hallucination, and actual events. The plot unravels through a series of revelations that challenge what the character and audience believe to be true, leading to a climax where surviving often means accepting a horrifying new reality.

Why These Movies?

These movies are united by their masterful use of tension and their focus on the horror of a collapsing mind. They share a specific vibe: a slow-burn or variable pacing that builds to intense, brutal confrontations, a dark and heavy tone, and a pervasive sense of claustrophobia even in open spaces. The experience is defined by anxiety and the unsettling feeling that nothing is as it seems.

Unlock the Full Story of The Call

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Call in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Call is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Call Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Call, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Call Summary

The Call Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Call with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Call Timeline

The Call Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Call that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Call Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Call

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Call: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About The Call

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