Chakushin Ari (One Missed Call) (2004)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jonathan H

  
  The first act of One Missed Call is masterful, with Miike utilizing his most clever devices since Ichii, but the film is ultimately undone by weighty exposition and too much excess. Aside from the terrific TV station scene, you can really sense the struggle of an unconventional… More
  The first act of One Missed Call is masterful, with Miike utilizing his most clever devices since Ichii, but the film is ultimately undone by weighty exposition and too much excess. Aside from the terrific TV station scene, you can really sense the struggle of an unconventional filmmaker trying to find his comfort zone in a commercial enterprise.

• Ariuza k

  
  The idea of this is very similar to the grudge or just to another horror film that was already made at the time but I must put One Missed Call as something different and scary at times despite all its flaws and its terrible remake that should be left in the dark forever. So yet… More
  The idea of this is very similar to the grudge or just to another horror film that was already made at the time but I must put One Missed Call as something different and scary at times despite all its flaws and its terrible remake that should be left in the dark forever. So yet another simple yet freaky story. People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths, along with the exact date and time of their future death, listed on the message log. The plot thickens as the surviving characters pursue the answers to this mystery which could save their lives. Or die horribly trying in the process. The remake itself was just awful why they made that OR even remake our movies is a mystery to me. I walkout out of the remake at the 55 minute mark my all time record was Caligula re-release at 24 minutes. I love Takashi Miike Ichi the Killer that is just brutally awesome but this has its flaws yes but I find it to be good despite what otherts put it. Kô Shibasaki and Shin'ichi Tsutsumi do okay jobs despite there major acting problems and to the others I wont hold my breath. The storey is like a major rip off of other ghost films and to people that have seen lots of them the similatys will hit you sooner or later. That exorcism scene was like WTF but maybe that was just me. Some freeky settings but that's about it I guess. My final line is, see it if you are a major horror fan and DON'T see the remake.

• Keiko A

  
  Wouldn't say I ever liked this that much though somewhat scary just really boring and we have seen it all before. To me this is just another hunted house movie that tries to be scary doing what the grudge did as well as the ring and just putting it together. Meany seems to like… More
  Wouldn't say I ever liked this that much though somewhat scary just really boring and we have seen it all before. To me this is just another hunted house movie that tries to be scary doing what the grudge did as well as the ring and just putting it together. Meany seems to like this and it was successful but I just thought it was average. The remake was just plain awful one of the worst I have seen. People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths, along with the exact date and time of their future death, listed on the message log. The plot thickens as the surviving characters persue the answers to this mystery which could save their lives. I thought the story was just kario, the grudge, the ring put to together to make really one boring movie that scars yes. But most time you can easily see what's going to happen. 30% for story scary but really lacks 60% for acting its okay and pulls throw you can see there flaws 60% for special effects not much here but it looks okay though 70% for characters some are likeable other are not you just don't seem to care 50% for everything else music came for Kario so in this it just doesn't work. I would say skip but if you like horrors go for it.

• Greg S

  
  Yumi's friends begin receiving phone calls from their own numbers with a date in the future, and they wind up dead on that date; she fears she too is on the murderer's call list. Miike recycles ideas from the superior AUDITION; attempts to provide psychological depth via… More
  Yumi's friends begin receiving phone calls from their own numbers with a date in the future, and they wind up dead on that date; she fears she too is on the murderer's call list. Miike recycles ideas from the superior AUDITION; attempts to provide psychological depth via child abuse backstories and multiple twist endings can't salvage this talky, overlong effort with too few scares.

• Gordon A

  
  Worthy (just) addition to the J-horror canon which doesn't stray far from the conventions but has enough chills and a coherent narrative.

• Cassandra M

  
  Most Japanese movies are considered as low-budget compared to their Hollywood counterparts. This is because their production costs are so high. However this factor does not deter Japanese creative production teams to come up with movie gems, in different genres. In the realm of… More
  Most Japanese movies are considered as low-budget compared to their Hollywood counterparts. This is because their production costs are so high. However this factor does not deter Japanese creative production teams to come up with movie gems, in different genres. In the realm of Japanese horrors for example, a studio working with a limited budget has to resort to Jaws-style direction, in which you hardly see or visualise the ghosts/monsters. And it is through the movie's simplicity, or by not showing/explaining too much, that J-horrors have turned up the notch on the haunting and horror levels through movies such as Ring and Dark Water. Of course there are the still plenty of gorefest movies such as Suicide Circles and Ichi the Killer, the latter being a courtesy of that notorious but prolific J-director, Takashi Miike. So it is remarkable and truly rewarding to see how Miike toned down his tastes for the twisted and perverted in One Missed Call. Furthermore he implemented his flair of storytelling through symbolisms and graphic metaphors quite nicely. Any shock/gore elements were used in such a way that they serve the movie, instead of downgrading it to a cheesy flick. In conclusion, One Missed Call satisfies on many levels, providing you keep an open mind and just enjoy the ride. Another plus of the movie is the appearances of several gorgeous J-idols, such as Kazue Fukishii and Kou Shibasaki. Nifty!

• Luke B

  
  Takashi Miike puts his usual bizarre take on cinema aside to handle a fairly more commercial horror film. Like Ring or The Grudge it's a supernatural investigation film that follows a fairly predictable route. It's ticks all the boxes we've come to expect though it is… More
  Takashi Miike puts his usual bizarre take on cinema aside to handle a fairly more commercial horror film. Like Ring or The Grudge it's a supernatural investigation film that follows a fairly predictable route. It's ticks all the boxes we've come to expect though it is done in a very professional and expert mannor. Not many genuine scares though the television station scene is as intense as the one from Zodiac. Unfortunately this interesting moment passes and isn't followed up, surely a live death screened on national television would have a huge effect on the country if not the world. Like I said it isn't mentioned again which is a shame.

• Kylie B

  
  I liked this a lot. I believe this film influenced the Korean horror film Phone, which is one of my favourites, and this one gets added too. Not much different from the standard ' j-horror' fare, except in the motivation of the ghost, which was welcome.

• Drew S

  
  A tepid and uninspired but still rather interesting J-horror. Worth the time you put into it, but you're never going to watch it again.

• Ryan M

  
  4.5/10 Here is a film that was almost on the good side of decent, but staggered right from the start. This causes the admittedly ambitious premise to go to nigh complete waste, and this also causes Takashi Miike's "One Missed Call" to come a bit short when it… More
  4.5/10 Here is a film that was almost on the good side of decent, but staggered right from the start. This causes the admittedly ambitious premise to go to nigh complete waste, and this also causes Takashi Miike's "One Missed Call" to come a bit short when it comes to scares, entertainment, story, characters, or anything, for the matter. Yet, this is not quite a bad film. It's about a mysterious phone-call that people keep getting. The voice is that of their own; but they are always in a dying or near-to-dying state. This strikes our "characters" as particularly odd, and as with nearly all J-horror flicks, the story turns into a mildly entertaining, seldom engaging visual-trip that alas doesn't offer enough of a plot or enough of a visual-trip. It's sad, really. But unwatchable-sad, no. Save that for the remake. The film often tries hard at a good atmosphere, and it almost creates one. I liked how this film used minimal gore, and didn't try to scare us in the cheapest of ways. This is admirable, and the film is at its best when it's not trying to be the creepy, effective horror movie that it just wasn't meant to be. Yes, it's forgettable. So much that I can't even recommend it to horror fans; since this one might put a couple of them to sleep. It's a bore for the most part; never doing much to shock, disturb, or surprise us. At least SOME horror movies could keep me awake for more than 75% of the time, which is more time than most horror films have the potential to manage. This film is not poorly made, poorly acted, or even poorly written. It just isn't as good as it wants to be. But at least they tried; that they did. But it's hard to forgive a film that looks good, but can't scare you. I didn't feel frightened after watching the film, and I found the plot to be unintentionally ludicrous. The idea is pretty good- another smart techno-horror/thriller idea from Japan- but there's not much else to admire about the film. Word to filmmakers: dead people that spit out candy and admittedly cool but forgettable visuals DO NOT SCARE ME. A ghostly virus that kind of spreads through cell-phones, however, does scare me; but this film doesn't embrace the concept all that well. Takashi Miike directed "Ichi the Killer" and "Audition". Those films deserve recognition. If "One Missed Call" deserves any, then it's as a film that would be playing on someone's television within a film. At least it may find solace there.

• Anthony V

  
  Takashi Miike does a straight horror film right up to the nice, David Lynch ending. Ha!

• alan j

  
  spooky..cute leads..only problem is the story gets more complicated and by the end..Im more than a it confused...

• John M

  
  Very similar to The Ring(Ringu). Has a couple of creepy moments. Not as good as I was expecting nor as gory .

• Rose G

  
  i've seen this film two years ago when almost every week asian horror films were shown in the local theaters. it was not as scary or disturbing as the ring or ju-on but it did give me lots of spine-tingling moments.

• FanGirl B

  
  A run of the mill asian horror film. No where near as creepy or extreme as most Takashi Miike films. If you liked The Ring you'll probably like this one.

• Christopher B

  
  What could've been a typical J-horror entry becomes a horror masterpiece in Miike's hands. Great scares, haunting images and awesome set pieces. Highly recommended.

• Nicky M

  
  Japanese horror has a fascination with technology and the supernatural. One Missed Call does a great job of blending the 2. It has to be watched with the lights out and be prepared to jump. It's eerie and the scares are the got ya kind, not gory. Subtitles.

Read all 17 featured audience ratings