When a Stranger Calls

19791979
RR
1h 37min

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Watch {VideoTitle}

Play trailer1:06

Horror Mystery Thriller

A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination

Videos3

Trailer

Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 4

Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 4

Sneak Previews Season 2 Episode 9

Sneak Previews Season 2 Episode 9

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane, Rutanya Alda, and Carmen Argenziano in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Rutanya Alda and Carmen Argenziano in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Carol Kane in When a Stranger Calls (1979)

When a Stranger Calls Back

6.2

When a Stranger Calls Back

When a Stranger Calls

5.1

When a Stranger Calls

The Sitter

6.6

April Fool's Day

6.2

April Fool's Day

Alice, Sweet Alice

6.5

Alice, Sweet Alice

Terror Train

5.8

The Stepfather

6.8

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

7.0

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

My Bloody Valentine

6.3

My Bloody Valentine

The Changeling

7.2

Prom Night

5.4

Black Christmas

7.2

Black Christmas

During an evening of babysitting, high-school student Jill Johnson is terrorized by a caller who keeps asking "Have you checked the children lately?" When she calls the police, they inform her that the calls are coming from inside the house. —Betsy Bloomley <betsybloom@juno.com>

escaped mental patient threatening telephone call babysitter cult film flash forward 79 more

Taglines
- A terrifying classic!
Genres
Certificate
- R
Parents guide

Trivia
Throughout the opening segment, director Fred Walton gradually increased the feeling of suspense by making each subsequent phone call ring a touch louder than the previous one. They escalate from eerie to jarring and finally infuriating.

Goofs
Based on the year the film took place, 1 minute would not be nearly long enough to trace Curt's call. Back when the movie was set, it would've taken 10-20 minutes for several switchboards and circuits to locate the origin of the call.

Quotes
Jill Johnson: [thinking it's Curt again] Leave me alone!
Sgt. Sacker: Jill, this is Sergeant Sacker. Listen to me. We've traced the call... it's coming from inside the house. Now a squad car's coming over there right now, just get out of that house!

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: 10/When a Stranger Calls/Starting Over/Apocalypse Now (1979)

Soundtracks
Space Race
Performed by Billy Preston
Written by Billy Preston (uncredited)
Engineer Thomas Vicari (uncredited)
Producer Billy Preston (uncredited)
Courtesy of A&M Records

Top review

5/10

What a beginning!

The first 20 minutes are perfect horror. Carol Kane is superb as the terrified babysitter, mood and camera work are perfect, and THE MUSIC! THE MUSIC! Unbelievable! This should have been kept as a short or just an episode of a horror anthology. Because the rest of the movie is brutal! Totally anticlimactic. We basically follow the "bad guy" around for the most part. Totally lost interest. Nicknamed the killer guy "Ned", because I could care less what his real name was.

Just watch the first part, and then move on folks!

10 out of 10 for the opening scene. 2 out of 10 for "Hanging w/ Ned"

For a weighted average of 5 out of 10.

helpful•9

3

RobDiablo44
Jan 8, 2003

Why did Curt target Jill?

Release date
- October 26, 1979 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Das Grauen kommt um Zehn
Filming locations
- Torchy's Bar - 218 1/2 West Fifth Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
Production company
- Melvin Simon Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $21,411,158
Gross worldwide
- $21,411,158

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 37min
Sound mix
- Mono
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

Amazon Prime Video New Releases: July 2021

Amazon Prime Video New Releases: July 2021

Jul 1Den of Geek

10 Most Underrated Phone Horror and Suspense Movies

10 Most Underrated Phone Horror and Suspense Movies

May 27ScreenRant.com

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

Top Gap

By what name was When a Stranger Calls (1979) officially released in India in English?

More to explore

View image

Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples

See the entire gallery

Image caption not available

The 9 Most Surprising Harry Potter Moments

Watch the video

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.