THE CALL is a new Horror movie starring iconic horror actors Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell. For them alone, this movie is definitely worth checking out. However, it is also just a really solid horror movie, so don’t miss it. Read our full spoiler-free The Call (2020) movie review here!

THE CALL (2020) is a new horror movie that should easily please most horror fans. It’s a classic story without too many surprises, but the effects are cool, the characters work well, and – perhaps most importantly – the cast is awesome.

Looking for the Korean Netflix Horror Movie The Call? Read our review right here >

The four young actors in the story are really good which makes the story come together. However, the older married couple portrayed by iconic horror stars Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell just elevate the whole movie to a much higher level.

Continue reading our The Call movie review below.

Lin Shaye movies are mandatory watching for horror fans

For fans of horror movies, any movie with Lin Shaye (Insidious, The Grudge) should be mandatory viewing. No matter how good the story is (or isn’t), Lin Shaye will always make it worth watching. Also, there are some truly stellar portrayals by her in indie horror and thriller movies. You should really seek out any movie with her. Especially Room for Rent which features an award-worthy performance!

You might like: Our review of the Lin Shaye movie Room for Rent here >

For The Call, we get the huge added bonus of having Tobin Bell from the Saw franchise as well. Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell play an older married couple, Edith and Edward Cranston, and I absolutely buy this. In fact, I would love to see more movies with these two as star-struck lovers who’ve had a lifetime of both happiness and pain.

The four young characters are played by Chester Rushing (Daybreak), Erin Sanders (Six Degrees of Separation), Mike Manning (Teen Wolf), and Sloane Morgan Siegel (Dwight in Shining Armor). Every one of them delivers solid performances, which definitely deserve praise and attention.

Still, when starring in a horror movie alongside horror icons of the last several decades, you won’t make the biggest impact.

The Call (2020) Review of Horror Movie with Lin Shaye & Tobin Bell

Watch The Call in theaters and drive-ins now – on Shudder later!

The Call was directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. with a screenplay written by Patrick Stibbs. Timothy Woodward Jr. also directed the 2018 movie The Final Wish which also starred Lin Shaye. This is the first writing credit for Patrick Stibbs (according to IMDb, anyway) and it’s definitely a strong debut. We’re certainly ready for more from his horror-filled mind!

In case the title sounds familiar, this might be because there was a 2013 crime-thriller with the same title that starred Halle Berry. It was pretty good and had lots of horror elements as well. This 2020 The Call movie, however, has a totally different story and is a straight-up horror movie.

Obviously, the cast of this new horror movie will draw in viewers – as it should – but the movie itself is good as well. In other words, go ahead and enjoy this month of Halloween with a new horror movie that has plenty of all the stuff you enjoy. It won’t be a new classic, but it does offer solid entertainment and memorable characters!

The Call (2020) is out in theaters and drive-ins nationwide starting October 2, 2020. It will also be available on Premium VOD & Digital from October 30, 2020. The Call will also be added to Shudder on July 15, 2021.

Details

Director: Timothy Woodward Jr.
Writer: Patrick Stibbs
Stars: Lin Shaye, Tobin Bell, Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders, Mike Manning, Sloane Morgan Siegel

Plot

Four Friends. One Phone Call. 60 Seconds to Stay Alive. In the fall of 1987, a group of small-town friends must survive the night in the home of a sinister couple after a tragic accident occurs in THE CALL. Needing only to make a single phone call, the request seems horribly ordinary until they realize that this call could change their life…or end it. This simple task quickly spirals into terror as their worst nightmares become reality as they enter the realm of THE CALL.

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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