The 2006 remake of When a Stranger Calls has been updated with cell phones, security devices and a high-tech house that serves as the setting. Although there are many improvements made from the original, director Simon West and screenwriter Jake Wade Wall make new blunders as well.

Camilla Belle takes the role of Jill, played by Carol Kane in the original. Jill is the typical girl going through adolescence—boyfriends, parental guidance, etc. After going over her cell phone minutes, Jill is forced to baby-sit to pay for it. She is then sent to a large house in a remote location by the lake.

In this update, there is only one perspective; rather than having a screenplay that meanders through an identity crisis that the original does, this version is solely focused on Jill. Camilla Belle does a nice job, using the much more developed character she’s given, an advantage that Carol Kane didn’t have.

After being left alone with the sleeping children, Jill is then treated to the usual false scare tactics that have become a trade mark in midlevel horror movies. Doors open. Lights turn on, etc., etc. Sadly, these false scare tactics become more annoying than suspense building. Any avid horror fan would see these things coming a mile away even while blindfolded. The plot finally moves forward when the stranger instructs Jill to check the children.

The rest of the film, however, is done routinely and shows no ambition than just to take the first act of the original film and extend it.

The film makers try to be creative by having a setting that is open and modern. The house, however, seems more welcoming and cozy rather than creepy and bloodcurdling. Nothing can substitute an old house with a violent history.

SPOILERS. The film also has missteps in small but noticeable details. The killer admits to Jill that he wants blood all over his body. He simply strangles Tiffany, leaving her with no blood loss. Same goes for the live-in housekeeper, who of course, is stereotypically named Rosa. Where’s the blood? What’s so special about Jill that he just wants HER blood?

The ending of the film also presents some questionable choices in style. Why does director Simon West choose to show the killer/stranger’s face? Evil–in it’s strongest form—is ubiquitous and unidentifiable.

Even with the solid work done by Camilla Belle, this rehash of When a Stranger Calls dials too many wrong numbers.

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