As a young child, I was both enamored and frightened by The Twilight Zone. The best episodes were the ones that spoke to the human condition and set our personal foible against us. Ryan Y. Jafri and Ben Woodiwiss’ The Call is a short film that stirred within me the fun of the Rod Serling series that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
It’s 1965, and our protagonist, man (Tom Martin), is staring at his phone on the coffee table at home. Nervously, he stares at the clock and prepares himself for when it strikes nine. Just as the clock chimes, his phone rings, and the voice (Alex Hebert) on the other end berates our hero for not being at work. He explains that he’s not feeling well (can you wonder why), and the verbal pounding continues. Soon the conversation shifts to the man’s shoddy work on his sales figures.
“…as the clock chimes, his phone rings, and the voice on the other end berates our hero…”
If, in fact, Jafri and Woodiwiss are paying homage to The Twilight Zone, they hit every beat and element from the series spot on. Be it the camera angles, haunting music, uncomfortable close-ups, or the perfect performances from Martin and Hubert, and it’s all there in a beautifully orchestrated tale of woe. I’ll admit the ending of The Call came up out of nowhere for a fantastic reveal. Well done!
The Call can be seen at your local film festival’s shorts program.
"…paying homage to The Twilight Zone, they hit every beat and element from the series spot on."
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