The Calling
A wounded Ontario police commander confronts a ritualistic serial killer whose staged murders expose the darkness beneath a quiet community.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- oppressive
- paranoid
- late night thriller viewing
- dark crime marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film atmospherically solid and well acted, especially by Susan Sarandon, but faulted its predictable, implausible plot and sluggish pacing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hazel links multiple throat-slitting homicides and post-mortem mouth contortions to a religious mission.
Hazel’s previous suicide attempt, chronic injury, and self-medication shape her vulnerability and her personal connection to the killer.
Fort Dundas and nearby communities provide a bleak regional setting marked by sparse police resources and a persistently heavy atmosphere.
The killer holds victims’ mouths in position after death, creating disturbing visual signatures for investigators to decode.
Films like The Calling, and why
Movie Details
- Director
- Jason Stone
- Release Date
- 2014-08-05
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (228)
Cast
- Susan Sarandon
- Gil Bellows
- Ellen Burstyn
- Topher Grace
- Donald Sutherland
- Christopher Heyerdahl
- Ella Ballentine
- Kristin Booth
- Katy Breier
- Amanda Brugel
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Calling about?
- A wounded Ontario police commander confronts a ritualistic serial killer whose staged murders expose the darkness beneath a quiet community.
- What is The Calling like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Calling as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Calling violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Calling as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Calling?
- Critics generally found the film atmospherically solid and well acted, especially by Susan Sarandon, but faulted its predictable, implausible plot and sluggish pacing.
- Which films are like The Calling?
- Films with a similar feel include Insomnia, Se7en, and Fargo.
- How long is The Calling?
- The Calling runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Calling?
- In United States, The Calling streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
