when a stranger call belongs to the group of this year remake and with movie like poseidon just over the horizon . director simon west ( con air ) helm this update version and with plenty of relative unknown cast and which signal either the death rate be high ( it isn not ) and or that establish star be steer clear from a potential turkey . clocking in at a relatively short 87 minute and it primarily make up of two act . the first and which take a full one hour and be the setup . our heroine and jill johnson ( camilla belle ) and chalk up 800 minute of talk time on her mobile phone ( do the math ) and and a a lesson in responsibility and her parent have confiscate her mobile and ground her . to pay off her debt and she work part time a a babysitter and and look after the wealthy mandrakis kid and be her first stint . the huge mandrakis mansion get a full tour treatment and a it be where all the action will take place . plenty of room ( make for good hiding ) and an indoor pool size aquarium pond ( to get wet in and for the wet t shirt treatment ) and and check this out motion detector light and which you just know will contribute to the scare with the manipulation of light and shadow . naturally and prank call and red herring be aplenty and which chalk up this act runtime and but most of them fall flat in the suspense department . there a minor trend emerge and with actor be the unseen and providing and act through their voice instead . recent attempt include edward norton in kingdom of heaven and and hugo weave v for vendetta . here and lance henriksen do the honour for the anonymous and nameless psychotic killer and but it just fall flat . why . the script doesn not give him much dialogue . most of the phone call make be of the silent ( mind masturbatory ) nature and which i felt be a waste they could have also cast some unknown instead and and the job will still get do . the second act and where the main action take place and be too little too late . and the bogeyman and well and be purely a bogeyman . those expect blood and gore will be disappointed and a basically it a one woman show to hold your attention in the first hour ( eye candy always succeed ) and and this act will have her resolve everything in double quick time and ala rachel mcadams in red eye . don not expect any form of character development and nor subplots that will engage . the end try to be too smart for it own good and and come across a a cheap way to end the movie . there not much of goodness to highlight from this movie no scare and no thrill and no enigmatic villain and and plenty of security flaw and especially with that door alarm the only thing it good for and be to provide a number for 4d .