‘The Caller’ – Why You Should Watch This 1980s Hidden Horror Gem
While I appreciate all kinds of horror, I do have a special fondness for movies about telephones. Particularly from a pre-cellphone era. That sense of aural menace is more tangible with a landline connection. However, my expectation for 1987’s The Caller, one solely based on the title alone, was not met upon first viewing; there […]
While I appreciate all kinds of horror, I do have a special fondness for movies about telephones. Particularly from a pre-cellphone era. That sense of aural menace is more tangible with a landline connection. However, my expectation for 1987’s The Caller, one solely based on the title alone, was not met upon first viewing; there are no menacing phone calls here. In fact, the titular use of “caller” in director Arthur Allan Seidelman and writer Michael Sloan’s movie is referring to a visitor. My disappointment was fleeting, though, because this story still offers plenty of mind games. The psychological terror is now done at an arm’s length, and with it comes a bizarre ending that seals this movie’s status as a hidden gem.
What stands out about The Caller is its small cast. The dialogue and scenery would suggest a larger group of characters is in store, but the movie is really carried by just Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith. Smith, whose role here is simply credited as The Girl, is first seen walking around in a small town somewhere close to her rural and isolated cabin. She buys groceries, then fills up her car at a gas station. Her sense of decency — leaving money for gas when she can’t find an employee to pay — indicates this is a fair and safe place to live, yet the approaching danger comes from far beyond this area, not to mention is more vague and strange than anything this movie’s contemporaries were delivering at the time.
At first The Caller sets itself up to be more of a straightforward horror movie. But don’t be fooled by the cold open — an unknown party swings an ax down at a photo of The Girl — or any other misleading evidence, including a formulaic prelude to the eponymous character’s arrival. A lone woman showering at a cabin tucked away in the woods, drops of blood going unnoticed, and a sinister camera POV that gives the impression of stalking. Everything so far is textbook slasher. Once McDowell does show up to use the phone for his car troubles, the movie gradually slips into a different change of clothes.
Pictured: Malcolm McDowell in The Caller.
Even though there is no marauding murderer afoot, The Caller (McDowell) is shady from the first moment he turns up. Indeed this random Brit is not met with a warm welcome from his soon-to-be host for the evening, but The Girl was caught off guard; she was anticipating a different guest. Smith’s character caves to the unshakable ways of her polite upbringing, however, there is a sharp edge to her voice, her words, and her mannerisms that imply The Caller is unwelcome.
The movie’s middle portion is a long and tense back-and-forth between McDowell and Smith’s characters. The longer they wait for a tow truck that never comes, the more hostile they behave. This growing display of aggression robs the story of any true uncertainty or realism; it’s clear that The Caller and The Girl are not strangers, and strangers wouldn’t act like this unless they shared bad history. Nevertheless, how they know each other remains hidden for a significant stretch.
With this being a two-hander, the performances are key to its success and your engagement. And McDowell, a seasoned actor both known and celebrated for his scenery chewing, is shockingly restrained here. He tends to take command, but Smith is no slouch. She matches McDowell scene for scene, and she is often the more intense of the two performers. Because of that, you never quite know whether or not to trust The Girl, in spite of our natural inclinations with the horror genre.
Pictured: Malcolm McDowell and Madolyn Smith in The Caller.
The Caller is one of those movies that should be watched more than once. If not for pure entertainment value, then for the sake of catching what you might have missed the first time around. Pointed and allusive words, curious actions, and sudden character choices all serve a purpose. Nothing said or done by The Caller or The Girl is unimportant in the long run. For that reason this movie is less meandering than first let on. The talky and often nonsensical writing is all part of a clever approach to the absolutely nutty conclusion. Over time, this movie slowly slides the rug out beneath our feet rather than yanks.
Despite your initial reaction, the ending doesn’t come completely out of nowhere. Especially if you look and think back on what all transpired before it. Once again, however, there were enough clues along the way; it was just a matter of figuring out what they meant and how they fit together. Having said that, there is still the unlikeliness of guessing this exact outcome.
If you count yourself as an ‘80s horror connoisseur, you won’t want to miss out on this movie. There was really nothing quite like it back then. The Caller slipped through the cracks for a number of years, but now it’s been unearthed and is ready to take a whole new generation of viewers by surprise.
You can now buy The Caller on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
Pictured: Malcolm McDowell and
Madolyn Smith in ‘The Caller’ (1987)
