“The Call” (2020), a psychological thriller film from South Korea, was directed by Lee Chung-hyun with Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo featured in the star roles. The work is set in two different timelines bridged by a mysterious phone line, and The Call blends suspense, mystery, science fiction and drama. It is the relationship between the past and the present, and the consequences of desperate or hopeful actions, interventions and consequences that The Call centralizes on.
Unique storytelling, powerful performances, and and emotion wrought narrative construct a tale that is, in fact, much more than a thriller, The Call, is an engaging and suspenseful film, an explorative discourse on regret, the construct of destiny, friendship, and the self and the crisis of identity.
Plot Overview
The film unfolds with Seo-yeon, a young woman in her late twenties, returning to her childhood rural house. She is faced with the somber memories of absence left by her late father, and the recent trauma of her mother’s illness. The house, quiet and filled with the weight of memories, is a little strange and unsettling. Unpacking, Seo-yeon finds an old, cordless phone. She turns the phone on and, to her horror, it begins ringing.
There is Young-sook, a girl who lived in the same house, but twenty years earlier. While Young-sook is living in 1999, Seo-yeon is in 2019. Somehow, the phone line connected the two women across time. They are both surprised and skeptical at first but eventually start communicating more frequently. They are bonded by the shared loneliness and curiosity each has for the other’s life.
With the development of their friendship, Young-sook begins to act on the information Seo-yeon provides about the future. Initially, the exchange appears to be helpful and, even, constructive. Young-sook assists Seo-yeon in changing a vital event in the past, causing her mother to survive in the present. Seo-yeon is elated, thinking that she has been gifted a second chance.
However, things change when Young-sook starts to make her own decisions, changing the future in unforeseen and chaotic ways. What begins as a pleasant connection rapidly devolves into control, manipulation, and paranoia. Seo-yeon begins to understand that her present is no longer entirely in her control, and she must face the truth that not all past actions can be undone.
As tensions escalate, so do the psychological and emotional strains between the two women. For Seo-yeon, the challenge is how to safeguard herself, her loved ones, and her timeline, while for Young-sook, the challenge is to keep herself from becoming erratic. The outcome is a riveting and intricate exploration of how one relationship can alter everything.
Characters and their Performances.
Seo-yeon (Park Shin-hye)
Seo-yeon is a modern and independent woman who is dealing with profound personal loss and uncertainty. Park Shin-hye endowed Seo-yeon with just the right emotional nuances and depth, portraying her struggle, including vulnerability and strength, while contending with the surreal reality of her communications with a long-lost other. Her performance holds the film together and provides emotional coherence to the complex, often convoluted, time shifts in the narrative.
Young-sook (Jeon Jong-seo)
Jeon Jong-seo has a unique and complex role in portraying modern Young-sook, which is perhaps the most convoluted character for an actor in this film. The wide spectrum of emotions and drastic behavioral changes she has to depict are monumental. Between the playful, charming, and intense, conflict-ridden moments, her performance is bound to keep the audience on the edge.
Even with the physical separation caused by the time difference, the chemistry the film managed to create between the two leads, is arguably one of the greatest accomplishments of the film. The emotionally charged, dramatic, and intricate phone conversations feel like genuine interactions.
Themes and Analysis
- Time and Consequences
A significant theme of the film is the way an instant and a single choice has the potential to alter the course of everything. The narrative captures the device of a time-traveling phone call to shed light on the idea of how changing a seemingly insignificant portion of the past can have devastating consequences on the present and future. The movie also poses the question: If we had the chance to change the past, should we still do it? And if so, the prospective change, would we be ready for its consequences?
- Regret and Redemption
The characters of Seo-yeon and Young-sook portray two different sides of one theme: remorse. The film shows how the desire for redemption can lead to a reckless and dangerous path, exacerbated by a desperate need to fix past mistakes.
- Loneliness and Human Connection
Seo-yeon and Young-sook first establish a remote bond through shared solitude. This emotional connection deepens the narrative beyond a simple mystery or thriller. It captures the timeless and spaceless human essences of yearning for recognition, companionship, and humanity.
- The Uncertainty of Fate
Questions regarding the rigidity or fluidity of fate are prevalent throughout the film. With constant shifts in the timeline, characters come to understand that the future is uncertain. What appears to be destiny is malleable, but perhaps, for the worse. Such a theme increases the film’s suspense while provoking the audience to ponder the extent of control in their lives.
Direction and Visual Style
Director Lee Chung-hyun offers viewers a unique experience through his stunning visuals and powerful emotional narrative. He employs different color palettes and contrasts to represent the two timelines. The past is portrayed in warm and analog tones while the present is in cooler modern tones. The fluidity of the editing across different timelines is rhythmical in such a way that it allows the audience to follow the changes seamlessly.
The use of visual effects was minimal. Rather, the film prioritized the narrative complemented by gripping dialogues and high-quality acting. The integration of scenes within the same house, while separated by time, demonstrates the filmmakers’ ability to convey the ’spooky’ feeling of emotional tension.
The ‘mental’ unsuspension the audience feels, accented by the score, is a ‘southern’ quality. Conversely, silence is qualitatively emotionally charged and even a ringing phone can approach the listener.
In Turn and The emotional Jump.
The Call was positively critiqued during release. Audiences lauded the film for its emotional core and ‘balance’ between sci-fi and humanistic themes, particularly its pacing and plot twists. The treatment of the film’s time travel element was lauded for its emotional core and ‘balance’ between sci-fi and humanistic themes, particularly its pacing and plot twists.
Once the film became available for streaming, it garnered interest abroad, especially among emotional psychological thriller audiences. Conversations and discourse around the film focused on the passages of time and the implications of technology on human relationships.
Conclusion
“The Call” is an incredible film that transcends genre limitations. It combines science fiction and suspense with an emotional story that investigates complex ideas such as time, decision-making, and the desire to change.
This film impressed me with the performances of Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo, as well as with creative direction and an engaging storyline. It invites the audience to reflect on the question of what they would say to the past. It also asks if they would be able to live with the future that comes afterwards.
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