When a Stranger Calls

"Every babysitter's nightmare becomes real..."

1979 1h 37m EN

😐

6.2

MID

🥫

38%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.4

IMDB

★6.2TMDB · 309🥫38%Rotten Tomatoes●58Metacritic★6.4IMDB · 14,833

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A student babysitter has her evening disturbed when the phone rings. So begins a series of increasingly terrifying and threatening calls that lead to a shocking revelation.

“Every babysitter's nightmare becomes real...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Carol Kane
Jill Johnson
Charles Durning
John Clifford
Colleen Dewhurst
Tracy
Tony Beckley
Curt Duncan
Rutanya Alda
Mrs. Mandrakis
Carmen Argenziano
Dr. Mandrakis
Kirsten Larkin
Nancy
Ron O'Neal
Lt. Charlie Garber

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fred Walton
Writers: Fred Walton, Steve Feke
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $25M — a 16.7× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

47 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "When a Stranger Calls Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fred Walton, shot by Donald Peterman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dana Kaproff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sam Vitale shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Carol Kane and Charles Durning and Colleen Dewhurst carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fred Walton directs. Donald Peterman behind the camera. Dana Kaproff scores. Sam Vitale cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $25M — a 16.7× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
347 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Part of the "When a Stranger Calls Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Fred Walton, shot by Donald Peterman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Dana Kaproff. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Sam Vitale shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Carol Kane and Charles Durning and Colleen Dewhurst carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Every babysitter's nightmare becomes real...".
10IMDB entry: tt0080130 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Donald Peterman
Original score: Dana Kaproff
Editing: Sam Vitale
Production design: Elayne Barbara Ceder
Makeup / hair: Edie Panda
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,500,000
Box office: $25,000,000
Return: 1667% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes: 38% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 58/100
IMDB rating: 6.4/10 · 14,833 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

1 win & 1 nomination

Part of

When a Stranger Calls Collection

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological horror film written and directed by Fred Walton and co-written by Steve Feke. It stars Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley and Charles Durning. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs." The film has developed a large cult following over time because of the first 20 minutes, now consistently regarded as one of the scariest openings in movie history. The first 12 minutes of Wes Craven's Scream is an homage to the opening of When a Stranger Calls. The film was released in the United States on October 26, 1979, by Columbia Pictures. It was commercially successful, grossing $21,411,158 at the box office. It received a mixed critical reception, with many praising the opening scene and performances, but criticism for its writing and lack of scares. It was followed by the 1993 made-for-cable sequel When a Stranger Calls Back and a remake in 2006.

Also by

Fred Walton

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2022-06-26
★ 6/10
A killer psycho escapes from the asylum and… “When a Stranger Calls” (1979) is low-key horror mixed with detective drama/thriller. I say “low-key” because there’s little-to-no gore, although there’s suspense, chases and flashes of violence. It’s very polished and was obviously influenced by the artistic “Halloween” (1978) except with a very human antagonist as opposed to the indestructible Michael Myers. Then there’s the big city detective element à la “Dirty Harry” (1971) and “Tightrope” (1984), but with a pot-bellied, average-guy investigator (Charles Durning). The film’s best known for its harrowing opening sequence, which was borrowed for Wes Craven’s “Scream” (1996) with Drew Barrymore taking over Carol Kane’s role. It’s a work of art with a rich, atmospheric score by Dana Kaproff. Unfortunately there’s a little too much drag time in the long mid-section, which wouldn’t work for modern viewers with ADHD. Then there’s the individual unconscious in the closet with no wounds (rolling my eyes). The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles. GRADE: B-/B

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