One Missed Call [DVD]

One Missed Call is an American remake of the Japanese horror film Chakushin Ari, directed by Eric Valette. The film follows a group of young adults who begin receiving mysterious and terrifying voicemail messages that predict their own deaths, with the calls coming from their future selves just moments before their demise. Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) becomes the center of the investigation after witnessing the deaths of several friends, each marked by eerie and inexplicable circumstances. With the help of Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns), whose sister fell victim to the same phenomenon, Beth tries to unravel the mystery behind the cursed phone calls before she becomes the next target. The film explores themes of technology as a conduit for supernatural forces and the inescapability of fate. While One Missed Call was met with largely negative reviews, criticized for its reliance on jump scares and its lack of originality compared to the original Japanese version, it still delivers some suspenseful moments and eerie atmospheres typical of the early 2000s horror remakes. The film serves as an example of the trend of Western adaptations of Asian horror films during that era.