The Calling

"When all the sacrifices are complete God will forgive the trespasses." Hazel (Sarandon) is a detective is a town where nothing ever happens. When she stops in to see a local woman that hasn't been answering her phone she is shocked to see her murdered. When more and more bodies are found she suspects a serial killer. New officer Ben Wingate (Grace) starts to help her investigate and what they find is more chilling then they imagined. There are some movies that are very slow moving and hard to stay focused on. This is a slow moving movie that actually manages to hold your attention. This is kind of a mix of Seven and Boondock Saints in the way that the killings are related to the Bible but when you find out the reason for them you start to wonder if it's really a bad thing. This is a movie that you can not talk too much about without giving away something but I will say that I did enjoy this even though it did seem to drag in a few parts. Overall, a creepy movie that is worth seeing but you have to be in the mood for it. I give it a B.

'The Calling' is one of those movies that never tries to stand out in any way. It never tries to shock its audience and win points with extra levels of violence or shocking plot twists that leave your mouth gaping open. It is simply content being a solid, well acted film that audiences can appreciate and then most likely forget. And that's OK. It's better than a film trying to be more than what it's capable of and turning into a bombsite. Director Jason Stone, in his feature film debut, made the call to go down this route and I think it was a good decision all things considered.

The movie has a solid cast, but not an overly exciting one. Susan Sarandon, Donald Sutherland, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn - all fine actors, however none of them are going to steal a scene or bring a lot of energy to the film. That was one issue with the film, was that it always felt a little flat. No real action scenes or plot twists can find the movie going through the motions, discovering clue after clue, until the final showdown and then it's over. Solid, but a little tedious at times. Nevertheless it's more watchable than a number of thrillers being released today and it certainly isn't going to offend anyone. Give it a look.

Detective Hazel Micallef (Susan Sarandon) is the senior officer in the Fort Dundas , Ontario Police Department , a peaceful and with no problem location . Hazel is a veteran patrol woman who formerly attempted to commit suicide herself , being assisted by a likable cop helper (Gil Bellows) . Hazel self-medicates to control the emotional and physical pain on her back . She hasn't had much to worry about in the sleepy town of Fort Dundas until a string of gruesome murders in the surrounding countryside brings her face to face with a serial killer driven by a higher calling . Along the way , there arrives a rookie policeman (Topher Grace) to take his job as a cop assistant . The stubborn Inspector Hazel interrogates the villagers , but nobody tells the whole truth . Hazel learns a serial killer who did not want to be trapped , the reason for committing the murders in different jurisdictions . A bit later on , Hazel consults Catholic priest Father Price (Donald Sutherland) , further leading to the thought that the murderer is working on a ritualistic religious mission with more victims to come . Eventually , the police inspector finds out some tracks until a surprsing finale . Pray for the Prey !

An intriguing and riveting thriller with tension , plot twists, thrills and magnificent interpretations. There are several interesting characters, some of them are suspicious people, but in the cold and foggy location nothing is what it seems . A mystery thriller set in Ontario , located in a hazy , mountainous , snowy location where police woman Hazel/Susan Sarandon has to investigate a series of grisly killings , including some gory frames when the victims appear with their throats slitted . Here stands out the great actress Susan Sarandon giving a fabulous acting , as usual. This veteran actress got long time ago some big hits with notorious films as Atlantic City , Thelma & Louise , Dead Man Walking , following other recent successes as Cloud Atlas , Arbitrage , Enchanted , Irresistible , Elizabethtown , Speed racer , Solitary Man and many others . Highlights of the movie are the splendid and prestigious secondary actors . As Susan Sarandon is well accompanied by a good support cast, such as : Gil Bellows as Inspector helper, Ellen Burstyn as her mother , Topher Grace as the novice assistant , Christopher Heyerdahl as an unsettling fanatic religious , Kristin Booth as a waiter , and , of course , Donald Sutherland providing a brief but awesome performance as a wise priest.

It displays a stirring , moving musical score by Robert Melamed and Mark Petrie , as well as adequate and colorful cinematography by David Jones , shot on location in Dundas, Hamilton, Ontario, Sunderland , Ontario, Canada . This fascinating motion picture was compellingly directed by Jason Stone who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa , being his second film feature . He is a producer and writer, known for The Hardy Boys (2020), This Is the End (2013) and Tender as Hellfire (2009). He has directed various episodes from famous TV Series , such as : Legacies , Motherland: Fort Salem , Riverdale , Aftermath , Van Helsing , Rogue , among others . Rating . 6/10 . Well worth watching . Essential and indispensable seeing for Susan Sarandon fans .

Set in the wintry rural wasteland of Canada, 'The Calling' could be the bastard child of 'Fargo' and 'Omen'. The film begins with depressed, alcoholic, pill-popping Sheriff Hazel roused from her suicidal daydreams when the mutilated corpse of an elderly female acquaintance is discovered After Hazel learns several other mutilated remains have been scattered around the frozen countryside, she begins to suspect a deranged predator might be on the prowl in her precinct. Scoffed at by her superior, she marshals the small town's oddball duo of police officers and their perky receptionist to catch themselves a serial killer. Before too long, Hazel and her team are sipping strong black coffee in their cruisers and detecting like big city gumshoes.

The script reveals some glaring holes as Hazel's investigations uncover an occult connection linking the killings. Thankfully, decent acting papers over some of these threadbare patches. When a few of the loose ends are tied up at the conclusion, the killer turns out to be a routine lunatic, and the rationale for his murderous activities is the standard silliness for this genre of film.

This movie's genre is mis-named. It's contemplative. It's also as dark, northern & cold as its Canadian landscape. Could the same effects not have also been achieved by a director or movie from Finland or Sweden or even Germany? (Compare the slow tempo of much German cinema.) It's a story about a state of mind with little light & much darkness -- and death is just a kiss away. Of course it also has a thriller, hunt-'em-down narrative. But I do not think that is the point. The story masks an attempt to portray a state of mind -- where do I go now? life seems hopeless, pointless & what's the use? -- concerning which mood of mind all of the actors are superb, first rate older (& younger) pros. This is definitely not a fun flick. But definitely first-rate in its own quirky way. Thank you. PS: Why is so much Canadian-based cinema so bitter and dark?