One Missed Call (2008)

Facts: As of 4.27.08 the rating for this movie is 2.9

Nearly EVERY review is negative. The accusations leveled over and over are: worst movie ever, terrible, trash, stupid and the like.

Here's my sad story about One Missed Call:

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon (I live in Seattle) so I went to the local video store looking for a mindless movie to watch while laying about. While perusing the selections I saw IT – not the Stephen King movie but the most vilified movie in recent memory: One Missed Call, staring at me from the shelf. I almost felt it call to me and for a fraction of a second my hand, with a mind of its own, started to reach out for it. Needless to say, I retrieved my composure and hurried away. Having read the reviews on IMDb, and so KNOWING it was something to avoid at all costs, I felt shameful and dirty at having let my guard down as I did.

As I walked a little further down the aisle I spotted another movie: Reservation Road. Thank goodness! Redemption!, I thought as I picked up a copy; feeling once again like sensible individual. As I headed for the front counter, reading the back of the box, it said Reservation Road was something to the effect of being a deep, emotional story. Not exactly the mindless fare for a rainy Sunday! So, completely loosing my mind and throwing caution to the wind, I snuck back and returned the copy of Reservation Road. Then, making certain no one else was around, grabbed a copy One Missed Call. I quickly tucked THE movie under my arm so that no passers-by could read the title and know the poor decision I had just made.

As I made my way to the counter, I made sure no line of happy movie renters were there so as to avoid their judging eyes. Safely at the counter, to throw-off some of my guilt, I made a joke with the clerk about how I was going to regret my selection but am a die-hard horror fan and therefore excused. He looked completely unaffected. I hurriedly paid and headed out the door with my guilty secret.

Once home, I popped the disc in, settled onto my couch and readied myself for disappointment. Funny thing though: About half way through the feature I started thinking about how similar this movie was to another movie I had seen - The Ring.

The Ring, when it hit the theaters and ultimately DVD, got huge, rave reviews. Strangely though, once I, personally, saw The Ring - and after all the hype - was ultimately disappointed. The Ring wasn't a bad movie, in my opinion, but it also was not deserving of all the accolades either – again, in my opinion.

So, here I am watching One Missed Call, comparing it to The Ring and now thinking the end has got to be the reason everyone is calling this a stinker. Well, I got to the end and was sitting there with furrowed brow thinking: What did I miss? Where is the movie that everyone hates so much? I don't feel ripped-off or violated. I don't even feel as if I was condescended to. What happened?

I suspect this was a case of jumping on the proverbial bandwagon. I thought we had are OWN opinions and shared them, here on IMDb, honestly. I have a very hard time believing that the same demographic gave The Ring 7.3, AVP: Requiem 5.1 (which SUUUUCKED) and One Missed Call 2.9. There is a serious disturbance in the force here. I used to trust the opinions and ratings on here. Ultimately this single incident has shaken my confidence in IMDb and the people casting their votes (much like the general elections of 2000 & 2004).

I hope one day I will once again be able to enter IMDb with the belief that I will be able to take away from it the knowledge needed to make a sensible movie renting choice. Until then, I will have to stumble through the video store alone, unarmed and destined to fall into the crags of bad movie selections.

A sad story indeed.

I fear I will run out of room soon so, I'll end here.

Cheers! Thanks for reading.