The Call

Seo-yeon, a young woman living alone, receives a call from a stranger who speaks from a different time. The caller, Young-sook, is in the same apartment building but two decades earlier, and her words drag Seo-yeon into a mystery that crosses years. Through this eerie phone link, the past intrudes on the present as secrets from Young-sook's life begin to echo in Seo-yeon's routine. Each conversation reveals a fragment of a history Seo-yeon believed she understood, yet the actions of this unknown caller threaten to derail her future. The tension builds as choices made in the moment ripple outward, asking whether one can change a fate that already happened without paying a terrible price. His questions raise stakes that linger.

Directed by Lee Chung-hyun, The Call released in 2020 as a Netflix original. It originates from an original screenplay credited to Kang Sun-ju, Kim Hee-jin and Sergio Casci, blending Korean thriller craft with a time linked setup between two women.

The film drew attention beyond its tense sequences, especially for Park Shin-hye and Jeon Jong-seo who anchor the emotional stakes. Fans discussed the premise online, noting how a phone call can bend perception of time, fate, and responsibility, and how a thriller can feel intimate despite its scale globally today.

Critics generally welcomed the brisk, self contained premise, praising performances and execution while pointing to familiar thriller beats. The film probes choices under pressure, the weight of secrets, and the way grief shapes decisions, offering a sharp, compact meditation on cause and consequence without overextending its concept for future thrillers.

Box office figures are not publicly disclosed for streaming releases, and The Call was released primarily on Netflix. Its impact is measured by viewership and chatter rather than traditional grosses, showing how streaming platforms redefine a film’s reach across screens.