Hidden Gems: When a Stranger Calls Back

We all know the story of the babysitter who receives chilling phone calls that come from inside the house she's staying at. It's a popular urban legend that's been used to great effect in a variety of films, Fred Walton's 1979 shocker When a Stranger Calls -- and its 2006 remake -- chief among them.

What you might not know is When a Stranger Calls has a sequel, a 1993 TV movie once again directed by Walton, and once again starring Carol Kane and Charles Durning. And it's really, really good!

Kane plays herself 14 years after the events of the first film. She's now a college counsellor who comes to the aid of a young woman who, five years prior, shared a similar terrifying incident to hers... and the stalker/killer might be targeting her again.

Much like its predecessor, When a Stranger Calls Back has a terrifying opening where we see what this new victim (played by the always effective Jill Schoelen) endured. These 26 minutes are a masterwork of suspense and building tension. I'd seen this flick before, but the opening still got me. Walton almost outdoes Carpenter. Almost.

There are several creepy sequences through the rest of the movie too. My favourite is when the killer slips into Schoelen's hospital room. She's in a coma from a gunshot wound that may, or may not, be self inflicted (spoiler alert) and he tries to revive her by hitting her in a series of escalating blows. It's disturbing stuff.

Here's the film's other strength; When a Stranger Calls Back tapped into #MeToo long before #MeToo was a thing. This movie has a lot to say about women as victims of crime, how few -- men especially -- want to believe their stories, and how these traumatic events impact their lives. And it has a strong message about fighting back, and not being a victim. It was years ahead of Halloween H20 in that regard, and beat the recent Halloween by more than two decades.

When a Stranger Calls Back is great stuff. I certainly believe more people should see it, and it's an easy Good in my book.

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