When a Stranger Calls 1979

As a local sheriff arrives at the scene of multiple homicides where an intruder brutally murdered three children and their babysitter using his bare hands, a chilling parallel unfolds 125 miles away in Colorado. For Jill Johnson, a 16-year-old babysitter, her afternoon takes an ominous turn when she’s forced to watch over the Mandrakis family’s two children after exceeding her cell phone minutes. Mrs. Mandrakis’ warm hospitality and introduction to their live-in housemaid, Rosa, provide fleeting comfort as the sun begins to set.

However, Jill’s tranquility is shattered by a series of unsettling phone calls from an unknown caller who only makes unintelligible sounds before hanging up. Initially, she attributes these eerie interactions to her friends playing a prank, but when she reaches out to them, they deny any involvement. As night falls and the children upstairs slumber, Jill’s friend Tiffany drops by for a visit. But in a sudden and brutal turn of events, Tiffany is ambushed while walking to her car.

The unknown caller’s menacing phone calls resume, taunting Jill with his ability to see her. Her growing unease prompts her to call the authorities, who instruct her to keep the caller on the line for at least 60 seconds to enable tracing. As she waits for the phone to ring, a shadowy figure is spotted lurking in the guest house. Convinced it’s the Mandrakis’ older son returning from college, Jill investigates but finds the guest house eerily empty.

When the mysterious caller rings again, Jill decides to keep him on the line, only to realize he’s switched phone lines. Gazing out the window, she notices a light has been turned on inside the Mandrakis’ residence. Believing Rosa might be at home, Jill sets out to find her, but is met with an unsettling discovery - there’s no one in sight.

The phone rings once more, and this time, the caller remains ominously silent. Jill keeps him on the line for a minute as instructed by the police, who then inform her that the calls are originating from inside the house. Horrified, she stumbles upon Tiffany’s lifeless body on the bathroom floor and flees in terror.

As Jill enters the playroom, she’s met with an unsettling discovery - the children are huddled together in a desperate attempt to escape the chaos unfolding around them. Her gaze sweeps upward, locking onto the figure lurking in the shadows of the loft. With a surge of adrenaline, she charges towards the greenhouse, where her worst fears are confirmed: Rosa’s lifeless form floats beneath the surface of the water. The assailant materializes, their presence both calculating and menacing as they begin to search the greenhouse with deliberate intent. Jill seizes control of the situation, locking them inside before making a break for freedom. However, the intruder proves more resourceful than expected, breaking free from confinement and launching a vicious attack on Jill. In a moment of desperation, she turns the tables by activating the fireplace, unleashing a wave of scorching heat that sears the assailant’s back. With their attention momentarily diverted, Jill seizes the opportunity to exact revenge by driving the fireplace poker deep into the intruder’s hand, pinning it to the hardwood floor. Finally, with the assailant subdued and the police on the scene, Jill can breathe a sigh of relief as they’re taken away in handcuffs.

Days later, Jill finds herself convalescing in the hospital, her body still reeling from the trauma she’s endured. As she rises from bed to survey her reflection in the mirror, a sudden jolt of fear sends her scrambling for the door. But it’s only when she turns back to face reality that she realizes her mistake - the assailant stands behind her, their presence a product of her own fractured psyche. The hospital staff and her father rush to intervene as Jill’s panicked screams fill the room, her mind struggling to distinguish between the harsh realities of her past and the terrors that haunt her present.