One Missed Call (2008) – Film Review

Featuring a cast of relatively unknown actors, Eric Valette’s One Missed Call is a Hollywood remake of yet another Japanese horror film.

When her friends begin to fall victim to mysterious ends days after listening to voice messages capturing their last moments left to them by their future selves Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) begins to investigate before she too suffers the same fate. With the help of Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) she begins to unravel a mysterious web of events that have caused so many fatalities.

Plot sound vaguely familiar? The fact that the film can sometimes feel like a weak dilution of the Final Destination films and fellow Japanese horror The Ring may have something to do with it.

The obligatory twists such films use are sometimes confusing and unnecessary in One Missed Call whilst the reasons behind the mysterious deaths are somewhat farfetched. This said however, the effects are good and there are some genuinely spooky moments. The faces that haunt those awaiting their end are both distorted and disturbing.

The film itself shows potential promise but fails to maintain any tension or fear for the protagonists and so falls limply in the teen horror genre and although the performances aren’t bad you may find yourself wishing that this was one missed film.