When A Stranger Calls (2006)

When a Stranger Calls (2006 Simon West )

When a Stranger Calls is a typical Slasher film which cleverly uses codes and conventions aswell as a lot of other techniques to convey the genre appropriately.

While the credits are starting a voiceover of a phone call is used aswell as eerie non diegetic music being playing in the background. The phone call is repeated with several calls backs where the girl answers the phone and there is know one on the end of the phone. This is an un easy feeling for the audience as they will have experienced a time where they have a hoax call which can be quiet scary especially if they are home alone. Furthermore, using the repeated calling also creates the impression of isolation. The location for the first murder is interesting as it is set near a crowded, urban fairground area and this is unusual as they often in deserted places although one of the similar things is that it happens within a house at night where the victim is alone. The use of both non digetic music and digetic music leading up to the first murder is clever. They are using things such as the chimes from outside a house which shows the area is empty because if it was busy they wouldn’t be able to hear the chimes and the contrast of the fairground noises from the rides which are associated with fun and happiness. Another element with not actually showing the murder is that it allows the audience to imagine how the death should be and also builds the suspense of the killer. There is a lot of editing within this sequence to build pace and tension which is meant to confuse the viewers and also build suspense for them. By only showing the silhouette of the victim through the window which is naturally symbolic being dragged away it creates the feeling this murderer is clever as he murders a victim without being caught. There is a variety of different camera angles and due to the fast pace editing of this sequence there is a lot of tracking shots following different people and close ups on different characters faces to create the impression the killer is watching them.

The repetitiveness of the phone call is symbolic as the phone rings three times and is a sign to the audience that something is going to happen. The use of the phone call also creates tension because it creates the impression someone is watching her as the calls are predetermined which is an unnerving feeling. Lighting is crucial for this film as it creates more tension and creates several anti climax’s. An example of this is when the central protagonist is babysitting in an expensive house situated in the middle of nowhere and keeps getting prank phone calls which is creating tension and to make the tension more effective low key lighting is also used along the corridor and within the rooms. Due to the rooms being on a sensor system they are only activated if someone enters the room which creates fear for the audience because the lights are continuously going off even though there is no-one else in the house apart from the children and the maid.

By using linear narrative the first murder happens at the beginning of the film which increases the terror throughout the audience as they will empathise for the victims and this is something that happens often in Slasher genre. At the end of the film there is a double ending used where the central character wakes up to a empty hospital, which to the audience will appear unusual and suspicious as there is no people about and she ends up being attacked by the murderer and then as she awakes to the hospital she has gone crazy due to the psychopathic man who was following her. I feel this is a intriguing because it leaves the storyline on a cliff hanger and allows for another film to be made. I will make sure I use both the codes and conventions for the film and use some of the interesting techniques such as the lighting that I have found within this film.