Coventry Review of The Calling

The Calling (I) (2014)

Hi, my name is Simon and I'm collecting souls! Care to donate?

[6/10 · 7 November 2018]

Yours truly is a major sucker for (serial) murder stories set in small town locations, so "The Calling" already appeared on my radar when it first got released. I nevertheless patiently waited until it aired on television, because I was quite wary regarding the involvement of giant Hollywood names. Famous actors and actresses undoubtedly add quality and prestige to a thriller (especially if these are veteran names like Susan Sarandon, Ellen Burstyn and Donald Sutherland), but too often it's also an indication that the film might be "softer" and more restricted in terms of explicit violence, rawness and shocks. "The Calling" indeed isn't a film for gore or smut seekers, alas, but it still is a more than adequate effort thanks to the compelling plot, the efficient use of sets and scenery and - of course - the beautifully integer performances. It's been a while since I watched a good serial killer movie set within the sinister world of Catholicism, and I recommend "The Calling" to people who like convoluted, absorbing and well-structured stories. Remarkably enough, police chief Hazel Micallef (Sarandon) and her team (including Topher Grace and Gill Bellows) don't have too much trouble discovering the identity of the murderer, but the mystery is merely emerging from his patterns, modus operandi and motivations. The stoic and intelligent killer, named Simon, leaves a vague (and admittedly far-fetched) trail on the faces of his victims that leads to an ancient theological poem in Latin. Revealing the meaning of this poem would give away too many spoilers, but let's just state that Simon is (or, at least, considers himself to be) a sort of prophet with a - titular - calling. Debuting director Jason Stone's pacing balances between atmospheric and dull, with sadly too many slow parts and too much dialog. There's hardly any action, but a good portion of suspense is provided by the performance of Christopher Heyerdahl as the odd but menacing killer. It's praiseworthy for a relatively unknown actor to stand out in such an ensemble cast.