When a Stranger Calls

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Summary: During a babysitting gig, a high-school student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.

Release Date: February 03, 2006

Genres: Thriller, Horror

Director: Simon West

Writers: Jake Wade Wall

, Steve Feke

, Fred Walton

Runtime: 1 h 27 min

MPAA: PG-13

Production: Screen Gems, Davis Entertainment

Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing, Mill Creek Entertainment, My Network TV, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Country: United States

Language: English

Movie budget: $ 15,000,000

Domestic: $ 47,860,214

International: $ 19,201,909

Box office:

Budget:$15MDomestic:$47.9MInternational:$19.2MWorldwide:$67.1M

Adaptation/remake:

based on urban legend, remake

Possible Big Business:

Production:

Screen Gems

N/A

No Rotten Tomatoes ratings imported yet.

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44%11%

44% of the Stars & Main Cast are Female.

11% of the Stars & Main Cast are "diverse."

White88.89%Mixed / Other11.11%

3.20

BechdeltestPassed!

Commonsensemedia

Violence3/5
Language3/5

Dove

Sex1/5
Language2/5
Violence3/5
Drugs1/5

This film gets a 3.20/5 family friendly score

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CONTENT BREAKDOWN

Methodology

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Methodology

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Stars:

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Production:

Star

Supporting

Other

Production

Race	White	Mixed / Other	Total	Visuals	Info
Kairos	11		11		A third party facial recognition software company we used to maintain objectivity. Upload images to the facial recognition demo page to check the veracity of our data set. Or use their API and do a bulk peer review if you'd like. Source: https://www.kairos.com/demos
Ethnic	5	2	7		This is the most reliable data source for accurate ethnic breakdowns of famous people. Often the information is crowdsourced by users and they cite all their sources (family trees, obituaries, census archives, etc.) on the bottom of the page. The only issue is converting their ambiguous and inconsistent verdicts into quantifiable variables. Source: https://ethnicelebs.com/
Total	16	2	18
Cast Percentages	88.89%	11.11%	100%	{"name":"Cast Percentages","series":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B","sliced":true,"selected":true}],"prefix":""}
U.S. Population (2010) Percentage	63.7%	4.56%		{"name":"U.S. Population (2010)","series":[{"name":"White","y":63.7,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Arab","y":0.55,"color":"#DF5353"},{"name":"Asian","y":5.61,"color":"#90ee7e"},{"name":"Black","y":12.6,"color":"#f45b5b"},{"name":"Indian","y":0.92,"color":"#7798BF"},{"name":"Indigenous","y":0.9,"color":"#aaeeee"},{"name":"Latino","y":16.3,"color":"#eeaaee"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":4.56,"color":"#55BF3B"},{"name":"Jewish","y":1.71,"color":"#ff0066"}],"prefix":""}	Source: US Census (Note: Racial and ethnic categories overlap so the sum will not equal 100%.)
U.S. Population (2010) Representation	+25.19	+6.55		{"name":"U.S. Population (2010)","series":[["White",63.7],["Mixed \/ Other",4.56]],"cast":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B"}]}
U.S. Buying Power (2010) Percentage	77.06%	1.17%		{"name":"U.S. Buying Power (2010)","series":[{"name":"White","y":9431400000000,"color":"#2b908f","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Arab","y":0,"color":"#DF5353","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Asian","y":603500000000,"color":"#90ee7e","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Black","y":961200000000,"color":"#f45b5b","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indian","y":0,"color":"#7798BF","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indigenous","y":82500000000,"color":"#aaeeee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Latino","y":1018000000000,"color":"#eeaaee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":143100000000,"color":"#55BF3B","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Jewish","y":0,"color":"#ff0066","sliced":true,"selected":true}],"prefix":"$"}	Source: Selig Center, University of Georgia
U.S. Buying Power (2010) Representation	+11.83	+9.94		{"name":"U.S. Buying Power (2010)","series":[["White",77.06],["Mixed \/ Other",1.17]],"cast":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B"}]}
U.S. Average Individual Income (2018) Percentage	71.15%	3.52%		{"name":"U.S. Average Individual Income (2018)","series":[{"name":"White","y":11838520573935,"color":"#2b908f","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Arab","y":0,"color":"#DF5353","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Asian","y":1156523399779,"color":"#90ee7e","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Black","y":1576527496897,"color":"#f45b5b","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indian","y":0,"color":"#7798BF","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indigenous","y":120014123533,"color":"#aaeeee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Latino","y":1361805918368,"color":"#eeaaee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":586342307104,"color":"#55BF3B","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Jewish","y":0,"color":"#ff0066","sliced":true,"selected":true}],"prefix":"$"}	Source: IPUMS-CPS, University of Minnesota
U.S. Average Individual Income (2018) Representation	+17.74	+7.59		{"name":"U.S. Average Individual Income (2018)","series":[["White",71.15],["Mixed \/ Other",3.52]],"cast":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B"}]}
World population (2006) Percentage	15.65%	1.86%		{"name":"World population (2006) ","series":[{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":12195979429,"color":"#55BF3B","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Latino","y":37634935587,"color":"#eeaaee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indigenous","y":9066893595,"color":"#aaeeee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"White","y":102813186221,"color":"#2b908f","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Black","y":80211026903,"color":"#f45b5b","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Asian","y":218719950667,"color":"#90ee7e","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Arab","y":52340877946,"color":"#DF5353","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indian","y":141605318875,"color":"#7798BF","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Jewish","y":2216840169,"color":"#ff0066","sliced":true,"selected":true}],"prefix":""}	NOTE: ZR is the first organization to ever create a global buying power divided by race. Essentially we just took data from CIA.gov FactBook, UN Population Estimates, and The World Bank's Population Estimates / Purchasing Power Parity Per Capita.
World population (2006) Representation	+73.24	+9.25		{"name":"World population (2006) ","series":[["White",15.65],["Mixed \/ Other",1.86]],"cast":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B"}]}
World Buying Power Percentage	36.48%	1.81%		{"name":"World Buying Power","series":[{"name":"White","y":3010602822170000,"color":"#2b908f","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Latino","y":771525888400000,"color":"#eeaaee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Jewish","y":91700962050000,"color":"#ff0066","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Black","y":526264226360000,"color":"#f45b5b","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indigenous","y":174285727610000,"color":"#aaeeee","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":148984454560000,"color":"#55BF3B","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Arab","y":526400066100000,"color":"#DF5353","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Asian","y":2431392083750000,"color":"#90ee7e","sliced":true,"selected":true},{"name":"Indian","y":572687873900000,"color":"#7798BF","sliced":true,"selected":true}],"prefix":"$"}	NOTE: ZR is the first organization to ever create a global buying power divided by race. Essentially we just took data from CIA.gov FactBook, UN Population Estimates, and The World Bank's Population Estimates / Purchasing Power Parity Per Capita.
World Buying Power Representation	+52.41	+9.3		{"name":"World Buying Power","series":[["White",36.48],["Mixed \/ Other",1.81]],"cast":[{"name":"White","y":88.89,"color":"#2b908f"},{"name":"Mixed \/ Other","y":11.11,"color":"#55BF3B"}]}
Notes		The "Mixed / Other" categories overlap, and the 2 or more category was not an option until the 2000 Census. So for the combined column, all data will be taken from the "Other" column except for 2000, 2010, & 2020. For those, the average between the "2 or More Races" and "Some Other Race" will be used.

24 hour time span 555 phone number alarm alarm system alone ambulance amusement park answering a telephone answering machine aquarium arming an alarm system arrest attacked by a stranger attempted murder babysitter babysitter in peril babysitting bad guy based on urban legend bed best friend best friend relationship big house bird black cat bonfire boy in jeopardy boyfriend cheats on girlfriend boyfriend cheats on girlfriend with her best friend boyfriend girlfriend argument boyfriend girlfriend relationship breaking up breaking up with boyfriend brother sister relationship burglar alarm system call is coming from the same location caller id car key car trouble car won't start carnival cat cat eats a bird cell phone cell phone out of range character repeats someone else's dialogue characters murdered one by one chase cheating on a girlfriend with her best friend cheerleader child child in jeopardy child's drawing children climbing down a tree climbing through a window clock colorado conflict between friends cordless telephone corpse creepy man creepy stranger creepy telephone call criminal dark house dead body dead body in water death death of friend disconnected telephone call doctor domestic servant dropping a flashlight dropping car keys eating a popsicle emergency phone numbers empty hospital empty shower escape escape attempt expensive home facial scar fairground falling from a tree falling from height father child relationship father daughter relationship fear female babysitter female protagonist ferris wheel fire fire poker fire truck fireplace flashlight flip phone foot chase four word title friends like same boy friendship between girls girl falls from a tree girl in jeopardy girl running goldfish grindhouse film grounded grounded by parent grounded teenager guest house guesthouse hair pulling handcuffs harassment hiding hiding a child hiding child hiding in a chest hiding in water high school high school locker high school student high school track team home invasion homicidal maniac horror movie remake hospital housekeeper husband wife relationship imitating a british accent impaled in the hand insane man isolated house jewelry jewelry box jump scare killing spree knife knock at the door lake lake house late night phone call laundry room leaving message on answering machine letting a telephone ring locking a door loss of cell phone signal mad killer maid maniac mid century modern house missing boy missing child missing children missing girl mist mother child relationship motion activated light murder murder of a housekeeper murder of best friend murder spree mysterious caller mysterious stranger mysterious telephone call nameless character necklace nightmare nightmare sequence no cell phone signal ominous music one day timespan parakeet paranoia parent child relationship person on fire pet cat phone bill phone call to police pleading for mercy police police car police officer pond popsicle prank telephone call protecting a child psycho killer psychological thriller psychopath psychopathic killer purse remake rich doctor rich family ring ringing a doorbell ringing telephone running running teenage girl scream secluded house security system serial killer shadowy figure shower sleeping boy sleeping child sleeping girl slow motion scene small bird stalked stalker stalking stopwatch strange noise stranger stranger danger stranger in the house surprise ending survival suspense talking to a stranger teen horror teen slasher teenage alcoholic teenage girl teenage girl as protagonist teenage protagonist teenager telephone telephone call telephone conversation telephone number telephone terror terror threatening telephone call tracing a telephone call track team trying on a necklace trying on a ring trying on jewelry unanswered telephone call underage drinking underwater scene unexpected visitor unknown caller unnamed character urban legend violence waking up from a nightmare walking trail waterfront house woods

Parental Guide: +add

This film gets a 3.2/5 family friendly score

MPAA Certification	No MPAA rating found yet. Add Family Friendly Rating?
IMDb Rating https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455857/parentalguide last updated: 2024-10-25Update data
Commonsensemedia Rating https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/when-a-stranger-calls-2006 last updated: 2024-10-25Update data
Message 0/5	Babysitter is virtuous, protecting two young children against relentless stalker.
Violence 3/5	A disconcerting opening sequence (fairground images and screams, with no explicit violence, but a detective appears horrified by what he sees and bloody bodybags are removed from a house); in film proper, two bodies appear on screen (murders take place off); wind/storm outside is ominous; killer chases babysitter and kids, which leads to fighting (kicking and hitting), stabbing with a fireplace poker, throwing of furniture, bloodied and bruised face and limbs; cat eats a canary; another jump scene in an empty-seeming hospital room at film's end.
Sex 0/5	Discussion of a boyfriend's "cheating" (he kissed another girl while drunk); girls in close-fitting shirts; house features nude figures artwork (statues and paintings).
Language 3/5	Some strong language ("hell," "damn," two s-words, "a--hole," "skank," and "b---h").
Drugs 0/5	One girl who comes to visit suggests drinking tequila, but babysitter asks her to leave.
Dove Rating https://dove.org/review/5366-when-a-stranger-calls-2006/
Faith 0/5	None
Sex 1/5	Teen talk about kissing
Language 2/5	S-1; A-2; B-1; OMG-2
Violence 3/5	Implied violent murder of children w/ bloody body bags; 2 dead bodies - no blood; Hand stabbed with fireplace poker - graphically shown; Killer and girl punch and fight.
Drugs 1/5	Implied alcohol use at teen bonfire
Nudity 0/5	None
Other 0/5	None

Methodology

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crosswalk.com

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