The Calling (2014) Reviews

• A movie that you can't talk too much about without giving things away. I did enjoy this even though it seemed to drag a little.

  cosmo_tiger2014-09-21

  "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.

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• contemplative more than thrilling

  jdeureka2014-09-26

  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?

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• A Dark Slow Paced Thriller

  nebk2014-08-27

  The Calling is a subtle yet dark thriller starring Susan Sarandon as an aging detective called Hazel Micallef who is the chief of police in a small Canadian Town. She is a pill popping heavy drinking police officer who at first glance appears disinterested in the life in her small town. This changes when two murders occur within a space of three days. Soon her and her colleagues (Gill Bellows and Topher Grace) are convinced that there is a serial killer (Christopher Heyerdahl) stalking and mutilating devout Catholics throughout Canada. It becomes apparent to Hazel upon a consultation with a priest called Father Price (Donald Sutherland) that the murders are based on ancient Christian Myths and writings regarding resurrection. No one has picked up on this as the killer disguises his acts by making some of them appear like suicides and mutilating other victims in different ways. Major Spoilers Ahead: What makes this film slightly different to the usual serial killer fare is the fact that the victims offer themselves as sacrifices in order to save their souls whilst the killer believes he is a healer who will resurrect someone by offering 12 willing sacrifices. So it's not the usual predator stalking the prey idea that is the norm in films dealing with serial killers. Overall, this movie is somewhat slow paced and not action packed, but it is still worth watching due to the acting from Sarandon, Grace, Sutherland and Heyerdahl amongst others. The story itself is not bad and might interest someone who is looking for a dark and slower paced film which does not have car chases, gun fights or explosions galore. I would rate it between a 6-6.5/10. Worth checking out.

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• Sarandon is Superb in this Serial Killer Flick

  larrys32014-09-24

  At times this serial killer flick can be too stomach-churningly gruesome and grim for my tastes. However, the all star-cast and an absorbing storyline eventually won me over. Susan Sarandon is superb as the pain pill-popping, heavy drinking, and unfiltered Acting Police Chief Hazel Micallef, in the small town of Fort Dundas, Canada. Topher Grace is also excellent as the young police officer Ben Wingate, who's transferred to Fort Dundas from Toronto, to get a fresh start after the death of his life partner. As mentioned, there's a strong all-star cast here, which includes Ellen Burstyn, Gil Bellows, Donald Sutherland, and Christopher Heyerdahl. We find out about half-way through the movie who the serial killer actually is, but the actual motives of the killer are not initially what is supposed, as we slowly find out what the real reasons are for the slayings all across Canada. The film, I thought, began to follow a predictable path but then a few twists near the end, I felt, enhanced the movie. In summary, I felt the filmmakers put a little too much emphasis on the gruesome, but I found myself, with the strong performances and the rather engrossing plot being interested throughout. The movie was directed by Jason Stone with a screenplay from Scott Abramovitch, based on the novel by Inger Ash Wolfe

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• I was rooting for the Serial Killer in the end.

  nick-12652014-11-10

  Although we as viewers had to fill in many gaps this movie is well worth a watch. Made a refreshing change from the usual serial killer plot. In any other movie the outcomes of certain scenes would have been easily predictable. Basically it's about an aspect of the Bible that was never committed to written text and a man driven by love who seeks to correct a societal injustice which resulted in the death of someone very close to him. The serial killer was far removed from the usual Hollywood stereotype to the extent that in one of the final scenes the outcome was completely unpredictable while at the same time completely understandable. It reminded me ( loosely in the end ) of Medicine Man.

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