The Caller

Each morning, Sam wakes up, and every day is the same, the emptiness stretching before him. One day, he picks up a call from an unknown number. From there, his life spirals out of control. At first, he is given a simple task: to put a glass of water in front of the windowsill. Slowly, each task becomes even deadlier and more harrowing than the last.

You might be wondering why Sam complies. The Caller dangles the possibility that he might see his family again. And that hope compels Sam to pick up the calls and follow the Caller’s orders.

The Caller revolves entirely around one character, a man who is grappling with the loss of his wife and daughter, and desperately tries to find a reason to keep on going. Every day, we see him waking up and the first thing he does is drink a glass of water and read a note that is eventually revealed. It reads: “You are Sam. You have a reason to live.”

As the film continues, we see him wrestling with himself. His demons come to the surface as he carries out these horrendous acts that the Caller forces upon him. His mental state is obviously in decline. Eventually, he realizes he is his own worst enemy. Sam spirals to the point where he loses touch with reality. Things take on a surreal turn when he realizes he has been pitted against his own self this whole time. Ultimately, it becomes too much for him, and he decides to end his agony once and for all. But as he reflects on his family, he couldn’t go through with it.

Each sequence is separated by quotes that act like chapter headings. Quotes like “Take time to sit with your thoughts. They hold the answers you seek” and “Never make assumptions until you know the whole truth” add a sense of transition and closure between segments. This was an interesting way to segue between a series of scenes.

With that being said, the cinematography of this film is really spectacular. The vivid shots convey the actor’s emotions clearly. Close-up shots of the characters’ faces, as well as some unconventional camera angles, provide realistic footage for the more emotional scenes. However, not all the shots are emotional. Sometimes they are filmed via drones and show an aerial or landscape shot. This happens to be an interesting choice. Instead of focusing on the characters’ faces too much, the camera pans out and films the entire scenery with Sam in the background. The odd camera angles also give this film an edgy and eerie vibe, leaving you on the edge of your seat, heart palpitating the entire time.

The music and sound design also tie the film together. Each segment fluidly flows into the next.

Another interesting aspect about this particular short is that it is an entirely one-man production. It is filmed, directed, and acted by Andy Blithe. Pretty much, Blithe is the one handling everything.

Blithe not only plays Sam but also takes on the role of the Caller and the victims. He does an awesome job portraying these characters. There is one particular scene where Sam is smothering a victim with a pillow. A trick Blithe uses is to film this particular scene through the reflection of the balcony glass. A lot of the violence and gore is filtered out, and though viewers can directly sense the visceralness of the scene, it isn’t as in-your-face.

Director/writer/actor Andy Blithe’s honest and uncanny portrayal of a man dealing with the loss of his family shows us that appearances can be deceiving and to not make any rash judgments. This is a multi-faceted film, heavily nuanced, and deserves multiple viewings just to unravel its many intricate layers. The only thing was that some of the characters came across as archetypal and melodramatic. Perhaps dialing down the histrionics can offer more the film more breathing room in general. All in all, it is no easy feat to act, produce, write, and direct your own film. Andy Blithe has done a good job handling all of the above.

Note: This review is on the 24:52 minute version of a longer feature film.