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"Don't Hang Up" (2017) is an absolutely derivative horror movie that nevertheless manages to be halfway decent. I'd rate it a 7 out of 10.

We follow a handful of older teenage boys whose favorite avocation is perpetrating cruel prank phone calls and then posting them on the Internet. The horror genre's penchant for vengeance should make their comeuppance predictable. "Don't Hang Up" seems to borrow in equal (large) measure from the "Saw" and "Scream" film franchises, with touches of "Unfriended" (2014) and even "Silence of the Lambs" (1991).

Still, this was a halfway serviceable scary movie. There were nice moments of tension, and it held my interest.

This doesn't belong on anyone's must-see list, but it's a fun enough time-waster if you can't find a better movie.

There's not a good guy on this movie so you really don't care much for the teenagers getting targeted by the mysterious man.

You do feel bad about the collateral damage though.

One of the main characters tries to redeem himself by acting morally to try to solve the situation which is nice to see but ultimately it's kinda too late and you don't actually have sympathy for what he's trying to accomplish.

The acting was poor.

That being said, the plot is interesting and well executed.

The characters acted smart which was a breath of fresh air among the average horror movies victims.

The movie got me interested about what was going to happen next and who was going to win that battle and survive.

Ultimately I enjoyed the watch and the ending was satisfactory.

It's definitely better than the fat majority of "horror" movies available on streaming platforms and it deserves a better rating on IMDB.

If you are a film student you know that the "reversal" usually comes in the final act, and there is a reason for that. By that point, the viewer is fully engaged, the endorphins are pumping, the action is flowing, and there is a need to take things up a notch.

What is happening here -- and let's give credit where credit is due -- is that the reversal takes place off the top, two pranksters get the tables turned, and it all happens in the first 10 minutes.

That is clever and it is a great start. But it creates problems. If you bring the reversal in too early, you run the risk of becoming dependent on it to drive the film, instead of relying on the basics. Such as dialog, characterizations, empathy, viewer connection.

Which is what happens here. After a great start there are major chunks that just lag, and the reason is that -- to be blunt -- by the halfway point, if you are a typical viewer, you don't really care if the 'slasher' gets the kids or the kids get the slasher. NO EMPATHY.

Many of the subsequent "slasher tropes" that close the third act are just that -- borrowed tricks from dozens of films you have already seen.

Overall the film is technically perfect and at some point in the not-too-distant future, those involved in it will look back at DON'T HANG UP as a great start for their Highlight Reel, but not entirely representative of their best work.

Just got done watching it. Really liked it, nothing new but well done on old ideas. Kind of a cross between "I know what you did last summer" and "saw" with maybe a little "are you in the house alone" mixed in. High tension throughout, kept me interested and played out well. Lots of horror tropes that we all know and love (well some of us anyway) Looking at IMDb reviews and a lot of people didn't like it. But they're the same people who only like the artsier horror like Babadook or The Witch. Both good movies but sometimes you just want a good old fashioned slasher, something that doesn't make you think or try and figure it out. This is that movie.

Good production value, good use of lighting, sound etc. Acting was decent and even though the ideas were old I thought the way they were brought about was good. I give it an 8 of 10, good use of an hour and a half on a boring night.

PROS: This movie really captured the thriller aspect of the film. It was tense and dark and kept you on the edge of your seat. The mood set in the film described very well what the film would be about. The overarching tone was very dark and bone chilling. This sort of vibe led to a great build up in tension as the movie progressed. At the peak of the movie was when the acting was undeniably good, other than that the acting was shaky. To continue, the acting didn't take away from how smoothly the movie progressed. When you got to the resolution of the movie you were completely absorbed. Overall, DON'T HANG UP had great tension and a well executed finale 

CONS: The biggest and most overt problem was the inconsistencies in the plot. There were way to many loose ends and things that didn't add up. This takes away from the film because you end up spending a lot of time trying to put together the pieces of the movie, and they just wont fit. It felt seamless, but there were actually way to many hidden issues. During, but most importantly after, you really tried to comprehend how certain events took place, when you clearly couldn't. The final problem was the acting. These actors clearly weren't meant to be horror actors. Actors like GREGG SULKIN did an OK job, but most of the other actors in the movie weren't meant for this genre.

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