One Missed Call 2008

The cinematic odyssey commences with a devastating hospital inferno, where a young girl named Laurel narrowly escapes with her life. As she’s tended to by paramedics, her plaintive query - “Where is my mother?” - hangs in the air like an unresolved riddle, leaving us wondering what secrets the smoldering ruins might hold. Days later, Shelley (Meagan Good) and her friend Leann (Azura Skye) engage in a mundane conversation, until Leann’s seemingly innocuous encounter with her pet cat sends shivers down her spine. The feline’s sudden disappearance only adds to the unease as she ventures to the nearby pond, where it reappears on the opposite bank. As Shelley approaches for a reassuring pat, a sinister force snatches her and the cat into the water, followed by an unsettling epiphany: a piece of hard candy floats to the surface, while Leann’s phone begins scrolling through a sequence of cryptic numbers.

As the credits roll, we’re introduced to Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon), hosting a raucous gathering with her friends Brian (Johnny Lewis) and Taylor (Ana Claudia Talancon). When Beth answers the door, she’s transported back to her childhood via a disorienting flashback. Her reunion with Leann sets off a chain of events as they ascend to the upper floor, where Leann reveals she attended Shelley’s funeral, only to be met with the devastating news that Shelley’s parents were convinced their daughter had taken her own life. Beth shares her own unsettling experience: Shelley’s erratic behavior preceding her demise. Just as the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, Leann’s phone rings with an otherworldly tone, signaling an ominous message from two days hence. The call goes to voicemail, but not before Leann listens in horror.

Meanwhile, Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) receives a chilling summons from the mortuary, requesting his presence to identify a body that’s been submerged for several days. As he lifts the sheet, his worst fears are confirmed: it’s his own sister. Left alone with the cadaver, Jack discovers something peculiar lodged in her mouth - a hard candy. The camera lingers on this macabre tableau, foreshadowing the unraveling of dark secrets and the blurring of timelines that will soon ensnare these characters in a web of mystery and terror.

As the narrative hurtles forward two days, Leann finds herself in the midst of a college setting alongside Beth. However, her perception becomes increasingly distorted, with vivid hallucinations of centipedes crawling along Beth’s arm and faces that seem to materialize out of thin air. When class finally concludes, Beth extends an invitation for Leann to accompany her somewhere, but Leann brushes her off, insisting she needs to make a trip to the library.

Later, Leann emerges from the library, still plagued by these eerie visions. Feeling remorseful for her earlier rebuff, she reaches out to Beth on the phone, apologizing for blowing her off and confessing that the hallucinations persist. She warns Beth that the call will happen in mere minutes, prompting Beth to arrange a meeting at a nearby footbridge. Leann then replays the voicemail just as the bridge gives way beneath her feet, sending her plummeting towards an oncoming train. Beth arrives mere moments too late to save Leann, and is met with the unsettling hissing sound that seems to emanate from nowhere. As she turns around, no one appears to be present, but a hard candy rolls out of Leann’s mouth, accompanied by the skipping of her phone through her contact list.

Two days later, Taylor engages in conversation with her friend regarding the tragic demise of Leann and Shelley, as well as the peculiar nature of their phone calls. The discussion is abruptly interrupted when Brian bursts onto the scene, his arrival marked by a sudden outburst of anger towards the pair for broaching the subject. As he surveys his surroundings, he becomes convinced that a centipede is crawling up the wall, its presence fueling his growing unease. He subsequently makes his way to a local cafe, where Beth awaits him. Brian shares his own ominous message with her, dated to arrive just moments later. Seemingly unaware of the impending danger, Brian rises from his seat and begins walking away, narrowly avoiding being struck by an oncoming vehicle. As he disappears into the distance, Beth calls out to him, urging him to retrieve his phone. Brian repeats the voicemail just as a sudden explosion rocks the area, sending a pole hurtling through his body. Once more, Beth is met with the unnerving hissing sound that seems to emanate from nowhere, and a hard candy falls from Brian’s mouth as if in eerie accompaniment.

As Beth’s desperation mounts, she finds herself at the mercy of an unresponsive police force, until the arrival of Jack, whose personal connection to her plight sparks a sense of urgency within him. His sister having met a similar fate, he vows to use his investigative skills to uncover the truth behind Taylor’s unsettling experiences. Returning home, Beth and her friend take drastic measures by disabling their phones, only for the eerie ringtone to pierce the night air once more. The following morning, Beth descends to the downstairs area to confront the ringing phone, which, astonishingly, belongs to Taylor - despite its battery having been removed. As Taylor answers the call, a haunting recording of her own screams dates back to two days prior. In a bid to sever the connection, they destroy the device, but their efforts are soon thwarted by Ted Summers (Ray Wise), a self-proclaimed exorcist who seeks to rid Taylor of the malevolent force at work. He presents her with a new phone, and the calls resume. Meanwhile, Taylor leaves Beth a cryptic note, informing her that she has retreated to her parents’ residence. A desperate Beth reaches out, only for Jack to arrive and share his findings - the trail leads to Marie Layton, whose mysterious disappearance sparks their concern. Upon infiltrating her apartment, they discover a missing nanny cam, fueling their suspicions that Marie may be hiding something sinister. As they dig deeper, they uncover the tragic circumstances surrounding the passing of Ellie, another one of Marie’s daughters. The stakes escalate when Beth stumbles upon Taylor on Ted’s TV program, prompting them to track her down to the studio - a church-turned-set - where an ill-fated exorcism ritual unfolds. Just as they arrive, chaos erupts, and Taylor meets a tragic end. As the lights flicker back to life, a gruesome discovery awaits: a hard candy rolls out of Taylor’s lifeless mouth, while Beth receives a chilling call from her own message, dated for the very next day.

The following day, Jack (actor name) arrives at Laurel’s doorstep, only to be met with an eerie silence. As he waits patiently for a response, another haunting flashback unfolds before his eyes. His inquiry about the mysterious burns on her arms sparks a candid confession from Laurel: she was brutally abused by her mother and her father took his own life in desperation. This devastating revelation serves as a somber introduction to the true horrors that have shaped Laurel’s existence.

Confronted with this new information, Jack reveals that they’ve successfully tracked down Laurel’s sister, Marie. The trio ventures to her foster home, only to be met with resistance from Laurel herself. Instead of cooperating, she resorts to her trusty teddy bear, which emits the same ear-piercing ringtone that has been plaguing Beth throughout the investigation. This infuriates Beth (actor name), who berates Laurel before they’re unceremoniously ushered out of the house.

As Jack and Beth part ways to continue their inquiry, she pays a visit to a doctor who treated Marie during the fateful fire at St. Luke’s Hospital. His shocking disclosure: Marie never left those hospital walls. Seizing this new lead, Beth infiltrates the abandoned hospital, where she’s suddenly beset by the dark forces that have haunted her every step of the way. Jack arrives just in time to rescue her from certain doom.

Their shared ordeal has only strengthened their bond, and they’re convinced that Marie is still trapped within those crumbling walls. With this newfound determination, they vow to find her, but fate intervenes once more, sending them on divergent paths. Beth finds herself scurrying through an air vent, where she discovers a macabre surprise: Marie’s lifeless body has somehow come to life and now looms over her.

In desperation, Beth cries out for answers, echoing the same plea that has been haunting her throughout this twisted journey. Just as all hope seems lost, Jack bursts into the vent, finding his partner unscathed but shaken. Outside, he’s met with Laurel, who’s just received a devastating blow: her mother is gone.

As Jack pieces together the truth behind Marie’s mysterious demise, he stumbles upon a shocking revelation hidden within the belly of her beloved teddy bear. The nanny cam footage reveals that it was actually Ellie, not Marie, who had been tormenting Laurel all along – and Marie was the one who finally put an end to the abuse. This newfound understanding sends Jack rushing back to Beth’s house, where he shares his findings.

Just as they’re processing this latest revelation, a sudden knock at the door shatters the uneasy silence. Beth warns Jack not to answer it, but her caution is ignored. As he peeks through the peephole, a cold, calculating blade stabs him in the eye. Ellie has returned, and she’s out for blood.

In the chaos that ensues, Beth finds herself drawn into the phone, where her mother’s vengeful spirit awaits. Stunned and helpless, Jack watches as his phone’s contact list begins to cycle through its list of friends and family – a grim reminder that their nightmare is far from over. And with that, the film fades to black.