Um Estranho à Minha Porta

When A Stranger Calls Back is without a doubt one of the most underrated films of all time. It is better than it's predecessor (which was also a very entertaining film). However, what makes this film more enjoyable and scary is the fact that the tension is kept throughout the film, as opposed to the first one where only the beginning and end are suspenseful. In When A Stranger Calls Back, the beginning, middle, and end are filled with some of the most frightening scenes I've ever viewed and keep the film going at a steady, entertaining pace. And the ending is mind-blowingly creative and scary. The characters are all well developed, the script is tight, and the direction is superb. I won't reveal anything about the plot, but all I can say is that once you see this film, you will be drawn in by its originality and suspense. Kudos to underrated writer/director Fred Walton for making one of the best suspense thrillers you'll ever see. (****)out of(****)

The opening scenes are enjoyably creepy and effective, creating a slow but undeniable increase in tension, where the limited dialogue feeds the babysitter's isolation and had me wondering what will happen next. Only, it doesn't explain how this stalker manages to get away when the parents return home and he is in the house. Maybe I'm missing something there but that just seems odd to me. But this is the only notable let down in the movie and it doesn't alter the creepy factor in any negative way.

Having now seen this a second time, my opinions of it have changed quite a lot. I really enjoyed the bond between Julia and Jill and the old dude is also a good extra. The build up of tension as the story progresses is a real feature, largely successful because of better than average acting, as well as clever directing and lighting. In fact I would say at times the actors commitment to their roles is quite excellent.

The word 'tight' comes to mind here, it's an efficient and effective production that I would recommend if you're looking for genuine scares without over the top violence and gore.

Fred Walton did it again. Along with the original, When a Stranger Calls Back has one of the most frightening openings of all time. Unnerving, alarming, and damn scary. Once again my girlfriend could not watch this one. It's too bad that Walton made the same mistake that he did in the first one: failure to live up to the beginning. The rest of the movie isn't that good. Actually, it's not good at all. Although it's not as lacking in the middle as the original and this psychopath is more interesting than the last, it's still not good. I kinda wish that they would have delved more into his character. Watch it for the beginning alone and you will not be disappointed.

Before babysitters only had to worry if the phone rang, now they have to fear a knock on the door as well!

I'm a big fan of the first film and when I found out there was a sequel a few years ago I just had to watch it. The problem was I couldn't find it. Once I did find it I was a bit cautious about renting it. Would it just be a carbon copy of the original? Well yes it is and no it isn't. The format is the same but the writer Fred Walton has done his best to throw in many original ideas.

For those who don't know, the story follows a babysitter who is tormented by a stranger one night while babysitting. Five years later she is tormented again. The police wonder, is it the same person or is she just seeking attention? It's hard to say, but Jill (Carol Kane) who experienced the same situation years before believes her.

There are some problems with the movie. John Clifford (Charles Durning) who investigates the mystery solves it pretty quickly and hunts down the stranger just as easily. Also, the movie doesn't tie up all of it's plot threads nicely, like why the stranger does what he does, but that's okay because it leaves the viewer something to discuss with friends. What strengthens the movie is the amount of suspense in it. Not only are the first 20 minutes of the movie very suspenseful but there are a couple of good moments within the movie and the ending is superb (if not a bit unlikely).

Most times a movie will advertise itself as being so scary that you shouldn't watch it alone. But in the case of When a Stranger Calls Back (and the original When a Stranger Calls) the movie is much scarier when watched alone and not very scary at all when watched with another person.

I really liked this movie and I highly recommended it if you like movies that scare through suspense rather then gore. This movie is a nice change of pace from your typical theatrical horror release (it was made for cable). When a Stranger Calls Back gets a 7 out of 10.

I watched the 1993 version a long time ago but didn't finish it. Years later I tried to search but could not find but only the 2006 version I consider quite disappointing. I found this movie by accident today. I'm glad to know the ending of the movie.

This movie is suspenseful from start to finish. The 1979 and 2006 versions weren't as good as this one either.