The defence The Big-Idea Head
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
Back to trending 
Phone Booth
Thriller · Crime · 2003
A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.
Movie details
Phone Booth
“No options. No lies. No fear. No deals. Just keep talking.”
2003 Thriller · Crime 1h 21m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.9 / 10
Community rating
A slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed... and the little red light from a laser rifle sight is proof that the caller isn't kidding.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Phone Booth?
For the defence
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Devil's Own
Crime · 1997
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You Were Never Really Here
Crime · 2017
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered—leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
Side Effects
Thriller · 2013
A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.
Nightcrawler
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When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Cellular
Action · 2004
A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. She claims to have been kidnapped – and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next.
Hostage
Action · 2005
When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob.
Copshop
Thriller · 2021
On the run from a lethal assassin, a wily con artist devises a scheme to hide out inside a small-town police station. However, when the hit man turns up at the precinct, an unsuspecting rookie cop finds herself caught in the crosshairs.
Klute
Thriller · 1971
A high-priced call girl is forced to depend on a reluctant private eye when she is stalked by a psychopath.
Canary Black
Action · 2024
Top level CIA agent Avery Graves is blackmailed by terrorists into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband. Cut off from her team, she turns to her underworld contacts to survive and help locate the coveted intelligence that the kidnappers want.
Blitz
Crime · 2011
A tough cop is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Joel Schumacher
Written by
Larry Cohen
Colin Farrell
Stu Shepard
Kiefer Sutherland
The Caller
Forest Whitaker
Captain Ramey
Radha Mitchell
Kelly Shepard
Katie Holmes
Pamela McFadden
Paula Jai Parker
Felicia
Arian Ash
Corky
Court is in session
Put Phone Booth on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.