Phone Booth (2002) User Reviews

One ringy dingy.

[Shiva-11 · 7/10 · 5 April 2003]

Anyone who doubts that people are as easily programmable as Pavlov's pets need look no further Graham Bell's little box. While most of us generally don't start salivating at the sound of a ringing phone, few people (unless they work for a software help desk) can resist the urge to answer one. Pray that the darkest force that dials your number is a telemarketer.

For Stu Shephard, sincerity is little more than a fuzzy concept. A shady publicist, his life consists of spinning interconnecting webs of lies to further the careers of clients and raise his stature. In his spare time he enjoys abusing his assistant, and ignoring his wife. Stu is, is also determined to give an impressionable young actress a test run on the casting couch. When he enters the one functioning pay phone in a ten-block radius in the hopes of setting up a liaison, the phone rings. It turns out to be Stu's conscience on the line. With a sniper rifle aimed at Stu's head.

When you take into account that `Phone Booth' was filmed in just ten days, on a limited budget with a dearth of special effects, one principle actor and a single venue you could be forgiven for questioning the potential success of this film. The original November 2001 release date might give one pause - films that sit on the shelf usually do so for a reason - read `straight to video'. In this instance the studio wanted to wait until Farrell was more familiar to moviegoers. He achieved this with a little film called `Minority Report' (the name of his co-star escapes me at the moment...). `Phone Booth's' new release date had to be pushed back once again after the sniping episodes in Washington. Some things are worth the wait.

While he stole the spotlight as the maniacal hit man in `Daredevil', Farrell is faced with a different animal in `Phone Booth', an 80-minute soliloquy which lives or dies on his performance (several A-list stars walked away from the project for this very reason). Reminiscent of his much-lauded turn in `Tigerland', Farrell confirms that he isn't a one trick pony, proffering a wide-ranging display of emotions, from cocky to cathartic without straying into soap opera or comic territory. He delivers his lines with a solid fluidity rare among his peers, no simple feat when one takes into account that he's suppressing a harsh brogue. Farrell also demonstrates a presence, beyond mere charisma - his good looks can only inspire interest for so long - that draw the viewer into the story.

While the supporting cast - Katie Holmes as the naive ingenue and Forrest Whitaker as the good cop - fulfill their purpose, it is Keifer Sutherland who takes up what little slack there is. While the audience doesn't get to see Sutherland, he is amply menacing as the cold, otherworldly voice on the other end of the phone. The audience is never privy to who he is (`Just call me Bob') or what his motives are, but it is inconsequential - he sees all, knows all, and is clearly in charge. Unlike S&M, there are no safe words. And for a control freak like Stu nothing could be more terrifying.

Although tied to a static location, deft camera work provides action, perspective and mood with such techniques as quick pans, compressed zooming, and picture in picture sequences, while careful not to cross the gimmickry line . Enhanced sound editing bolsters the visuals: ringing phones are jarring, Bob's quietly booming voice is unsettling, and the sound of a round being chambered is deafening.

`Phone Booth' could easily have been a quirky novelty flick that played well amongst the art house set. Thanks to Farrell's performance it makes for good mainstream cinema (normally an oxymoron) and may actually make a few top ten lists.

It's slightly obvious...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 2 March 2019]

...with its snare-drum-tight 75 minutes of actual image-on-screen and 72 minutes once you shave off the opening that tells us a bunch of useless factoids about phones in New York City. Those details didn't matter back in 2003, and they matter less now.

And at times its storytelling momentum is a little circuitous - the funny thing about the film is that the Caller tells Stu fairly quickly what he wants Stu to do, which is to confess his lustful heart and fake persona to his wife (Radha Mitchell) and his lover (Katie Holmes).

But the movie does put the pedal to the metal once it gets moving. Part of it is that Farrell's performance - one of his first really big showcases - carries a confident energy that slides smoothly into overactive panic and shame. His confession at the end of the film is around two minutes of him declaring every vice in his life, and the way his voice cracks and fades into whimpers... his open-faced shame comes off deeply felt that its stageplay-ready verbosity isn't a strike against it but an opportunity for real emotional catharsis.

Kiefer's great, too, and it's funny how his multiple attempts to create a backstory for his sniper trickster play like a pre-echo of Ledger's Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT. Like that villain, this one delights in "big choice" moral/ethical tests, and big story turns erupt from how Stu responds to those moments of choice.

Joel Schumacher's direction of images isn't a slam dunk. The introduction looks like a Mountain Dew commercial from, go figure, the early 2000s, and a couple of oddball style choices (posterizing a scene's color when showing it from the Caller's perspective, using triple-fades when Stu's delirious) make sense in concept but look more distracting than evocative. But he and his editors and . Matthew Libatique (who lensed almost all of Aronofsky's films) find a strong frenzied look for the film that never tips over into incoherence. And the Brian De Palma split-screens add some extra panache. And he also directs a fantastic performance out of Farrell, so props to him on that.

Also, the hookers are annoying, but I assume that's the point, and so... Godspeed, you overacting ladies. Hit me with those nails on chalkboard voices.

Screenwriter Larry Cohen deserves some sort of award for writing two pretty great phone-based thrillers - the other is the excellent Cellular.

Historical note - this film is probably unfairly remembered as sensationalizing the D.C. Sniper in the fall of 2002. The fact is, the film was done and ready to release when that event happened and was delayed in its release because of that.

Entertaining and full of suspense!

[bostonboy · 8/10 · 7 July 2005]

This is the kind of movie that is rare these days. It didn't cost an arm and a leg to make, it stars some good actors and the story line was plausible.

The Hitchcock influence is obvious and the pacing of the film was just right. This is the best work of director Schumacher. The lead could have been played by any yuppie looking actor but Colin Farrell does a good job anyway in a role that puts you in his character's place.

It's hard to make a movie work when it takes place in a confined space with few characters, but when those movies succeed, it shows. And that's how it is with "Phone Booth."

Quite interesting and entertaining

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 7 November 2011]

I do find Schumacher's films hit(Veronica Guerin) and miss(Batman and Robin), but the premise of Phone Booth seemed interesting, so I checked the film out. It was interesting and entertaining, but the script is sketchy with not much development to character, the ending is predictable and the story has several interesting and suspenseful moments but feels rushed towards the end. However, it is stylishly filmed, with some great camera work especially, Schumacher's direction is efficient and the soundtrack is compliments Phone Booth very well. The acting also helps lift, Colin Farell is very good and Forest Whittacker is solid as usual but the star turn was Kiefer Sutherland who was suitably malevolent as the caller. Overall, entertaining and mostly good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Small scale and slightly flawed but gripping and very enjoyable thriller

[bob the moo · 28 February 2003]

Stu Shepherd is in public relations and uses lies and deceit everyday in his job to get things moving. When calling a client from a phone booth in the hope of getting her to a hotel. When he hangs up the phone rings and he answers to what he assumes is a prank call. However the caller reveals more and more about Stu exposing his lies. When Stu tries to leave the caller reveals that he has Stu pinned down with a sniper rifle and the death of a man by the booth proves it. The police arrive and surround Stu while the caller continues his game.

Everyone knows that it had a small budget, a shooting window of just over a week and that it was made years ago and shelved as Farrell's star power increased and real life terrorist attacks and snipers came and went in the media and the mind of the American public. So I'll not dwell on that and instead talk of the film! The pitch was enough to get me interested – `man is held in phone box by sniper' – sounds great! I really wanted to see this film but was put off by the trailer, but not of the films I saw wrong in the trailer were to the detriment of the film as over 80-odd minutes it really runs like a race horse.

Starting with humour and a free-flowing pace it turns sinister early on but keeps the pace. In terms of plot it has many good twists and turns that will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat. The only issue for me was accepting why the sniper was doing it and how he was able to get access to the equipment he would have needed as well as the information – not to mention the WILL to do it! Also little things bugged me, but the film carries itself over these obstacles well enough and reservations are soon forgotten. It sounds simple but the simple ideas work best and, although low on action (sorry, teen boys!) it is driven by dialogue and simply not knowing what will come next.

The direction helps the film by constantly moving and using split screens etc to give the impression that a lot is going on at once – again making the film feel like it has a fast pace. It feels a little gimmicky (especially now that we've had 2 series of 24 doing the same thing) but it works regardless. I wrote in an old review (8mm I think) that I would never pay to see a Joel Schumacher film ever again, and I DIDN'T pay to see Phone Booth! However I was surprised because he didn't ruin it! He did a good job – yes, you heard me! His usual excesses seem to have been controlled by a good producer and editing team and the film works – much to my surprise and relief!

Farrell may not be a bona-fide Hollywood star yet but he takes the task of being onscreen for almost the whole film and runs with it. He makes a comically cruel character someone that reveals himself to be a loser but never loses the audience – and that takes talent. Sutherland's voice on the trailer didn't work for me (too normal and slow) but in the film he is excellent, like the director said, no-one else could have done the role, he is right for it. Whitaker makes up the third lead and he holds his corner well.

It may not be without the odd flaw but this film manages to be simple, gripping and very effective. Well worth a look.

When a phone rings...

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 28 February 2004]

Director Joel Schumacher preserves his reputation with a script by Larry Cohen about personal morals and hopefully the truth providing some kind of redemption. This is a white knuckle nerve wrecker about a self-serving publicist(Colin Farrell)making the mistake of his life by answering a public telephone. On the other end of the phone is a self empowered mad man(Kiefer Sutherland) inflicting demands on the fast talking, fast thinking publicity dealer who just happened to be walking by the phone booth he passes every day. The mystery voice on the phone demands the publicist to stay in the phone booth until he tells his wife(Radha Mitchell)and the TV watching public of his cheating, lying and making use of others. Of course behind the demanding voice is a sharpshooter that is not afraid to pull the trigger. The senior officer on the scene(Forest Whitaker)tries to make sense of the situation while fighting back thoughts of his own past personal problems. At least 90% of this thriller is made up of witty, threatening and revealing banter between Farrell and Sutherland. And talk about a clever twist to end this flick. Also of note in the cast are: Katie Holmes, Richard T. Jones and Paula Jai Parker. Think twice about answering that ringing phone.

Larry Cohen with a Big Budget

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 10 August 2017]

Stuart Shepard (Colin Farrell) finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle.

Unfortunately, with Joel Schumacher directing, this film is just too slick, and has an MTV style. The script is dynamite, the acting is solid, and even the suspense is extremely well done. But the style is wrong, and in the hands of another director this might have gone from "really good" to "great". (Though, "really good" is still really good.) In early August 2017, I spoke with writer Larry Cohen. Although he was generally happy with the film, he felt its biggest flaw was not shooting in New York. That is an interesting point. To those who have never been to New York, this simulated version is probably good enough. But to New Yorkers, it must have seemed really fake.

One of the finest single-location suspense thrillers in existence

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 8 October 2016]

Larry Cohen's concept was originally offered to Hitchcock back in the '60s – but the auteur director couldn't figure a reason for keeping the guy in the phone booth for the whole thing, so it got delayed forty or so years until now. With CELLULAR, another hi-concept offering from Cohen focusing, this time, on a mobile phone, it's worth checking out PHONE BOOTH as it definitely stands out as one of the freshest films of the early 2000s, right up there with the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy in terms of quality. Short, snappy and extremely realistic, to say much about the plot would be to spoil this one, other than the banter between Farrell and the killer has you on the edge, as well as the small-scale but riveting action and drama. This definitely one of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen, with the gripping story evolving so far that you'll be sweating as you watch this, right along with Farrell.

The Irish-born star is top-notch in his leading role, consolidating his place as one of Hollywood's most promising A-list stars. The supporting cast is also great, with Forest Whitaker typically excellent as the detective on the scene, and ex-NEIGHBOURS actress Radha Mitchell as Farrell's wife. Although this film only takes place on one location, I would say it matches the thrills and tension seen in the likes of the DIE HARD trilogy, it's that riveting. A film to be watched more than once, PHONE BOOTH is definitely gonna be a hard one to beat in the years to come.

Gosh! And 10 days was all it took to be filmed!!

[what3v3r · 9/10 · 19 April 2005]

Colin Farrell is a self-professed star publicist with an attitude to boot. Watch 81 minutes of gut-wrenching nerve-wracking dialog reduce a pretentious "kiss my ass" punk into an enervated and regretful reprobate. Farrell is simply awesome in portraying the gravity of the situation. "The Caller"'s voice is absolutely worth a mention. Calm, creepy and authoritative! Something different and the movie would have fallen flat on its 'flab less' anterior. Sutherland plays 'The Caller', manning a high profile sniper rifle, while he thrusts honesty upon Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell). Frankly, I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen for a second.

Ebert himself was marvelled by the creativity of "Phone Booth". Why! It wasn't without good reason! A gaudy character stuck inside a phone booth in a busy locale, some good camera work, bunch of apartment windows, a psycho sniper and 10 days of excellent filming supported by a 'worth a mention' cast easily will manage to get into a good bundle of "top ten" lists. Fabulous entertainment and a good display of creativity. Graham Bell is still aiding marvels, I guess!

excellent thriller crammed into a nice little package

[mjg32 · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

Phone Booth manages to put pretty much everything you want into a thriller in a short space of time. It is a thoroughly original idea - a publicist, who has been lying his way to success, is held inside the phone booth he has been using to cheat on his wife by an unseen sniper on the other end of the line, who wants him to confess to his wife. It is very well acted, with Colin Farrell portraying the desperation of his character really well, while Kiefer Sutherland, while only seen for a few seconds, plays "The Caller" very well. His character is a very good and original one, as while he does kill innocent people without remorse, his real victims are chosen well. He uses threat to try and force them to come clean, and stop cheating in life. It is one of the few films where you find yourself rooting for the bad guy. His voice on the phone is also chillingly brilliant. Without that voice, the film wouldn't be nearly as effective in achieving the suspense generated. Forrest Whitaker also puts in a nice performance as the detective trying to resolve the situation.

The camera-work is also fantastic. The shots rotating 360 degrees, looking up at the tall buildings give you a feeling of claustrophobia, like you are also stuck in the phone booth with Stu. Interesting dialogue, a thrilling situation, a couple of nice twists and a completely fresh idea make this a top film, and is one of Joel Schumacher's best achievements.

Taught, Original, Daring, very entertaining

[jigshaun · 10/10 · 20 September 2002]

I saw the premiere of "Phone Booth" at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, and I LOVED IT! It's unusual for a feature like this to even show at the TIFF, which should say something about it. I know it sounds like a hard sell. The whole thing takes place outside a phone booth in Manhattan, and it was shot in 10 days for less than 2 million dollars. But this movie is electric. It BLEW ME AWAY! Stuart `Stu' Shepard (Colin Farrell), a sleazy publicist, uses this phone booth to call his girlfriend, because his wife checks his cell phone bills. The phone rings, and when he picks it up, all hell breaks loose. The voice on the other end (Kiefer Sutherland is just terrifying) warns him that if he leaves the booth he will be killed. At first Stu doesn't believe him, but we find out pretty quick that his life is in real danger, and the stranger on the other end of the line knows EVERYTHING about Stu and his life. Then the police show up, (Forest Whitaker is wonderful as always as the cop in charge) and order Stu out of the booth. I spent the next hour on the edge of my seat. I don't want to give anything more away, but it is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in a very long time! You should go see this movie! I don't think it's going to get a very big release, even though it's directed by Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo's Fire, Flatliners, Batman and Robin, 8mm, Tigerland). Schumacher was at the screening, and he talked about how a number of different actors (including Mel Gibson) and directors had been attached to the script, and it had taken years to get it to the screen. He was able to do it with Colin Farrell after 20th Century Fox exec's saw him in `Tigerland' and decided to take a chance. But he's still not considered a `big' star. And Kiefer only came to the project at the end (though Schumacher said he was the only guy for the role, and I agree), and you don't see him much. So the movie may not get much of a push when it comes out. Don't let that dissuade you. If you like a good ride, you should go see this movie.

An Intense and Enjoyable Thriller

[christian123 · 7/10 · 21 May 2005]

Phone Booth is a thrilling and exciting film to watch that will make you scared. Stu Shepard, a low-rent media consultant who is trapped after being told by a caller - a serial killer with a sniper rifle - that he'll be shot dead if he hangs up. They believe that Stu, not the unseen caller of whom they remain unaware, is the dangerous man with a gun. The senior officer on the scene, Captain Ramey, tries to talk Stu out of the booth. But uncanonized to Ramey, his team, the media circus that has flocked to the site - and Stu's wife, Kelly, and his client /prospective girlfriend, Pamela - the caller has them all in his high-powered rifle sights. Stu must dig deep into his soul, find his strength and attempt to outwit the caller, taking the game to an even more dangerous level. The plot is similar to Liberty Stands Still and Panic Room but the execution it done pretty well. The majority of the film takes place in and around a phone booth. While that may not sound exciting, it actually is a pretty good film. There are plenty of intense scenes and the acting is also pretty good. Colin Farrell is a pretty good actor and he does a good job in this film. Forest Whitaker plays Captain Ramey and he also does a good job. Kiefer Sutherland is actually not seen until the end but he has a good creepy phone voice. Joel Schumacher does a pretty good job of directing and makes up for making the horrible Bad Company. The running time is just 80 minutes long so its not boring to watch. As soon as he picks up the phone it's a fun ride until the end. The films plot is unrealistic though as no one would actually be able to do this and get away. Also you don't really feel for the character so it may be hard to actually care about the film. The movie is also kind of predictable but the director and the cast make it exciting to sit through. In the end, this a nice, short thriller to watch. Rating 7.7/10, defiantly worth checking out.

interesting let down

[fcasnette · 5/10 · 21 May 2006]

Do not read if you have not seen this movie!

Interesting failure let down by plot failures: For me the voice of the sniper was so obviously added in a sound studio after the movie was finished it spoilt the whole suspension of disbelief, he was supposed to be at the end of that phone line after all.

The Farrell character's redemption at the end did nothing for me, he was such a sleaze-bag you did not really feel any empathy or sympathy for him.

The sniper was far too God like through the first 90% of the movie, a common failing in Hollywood. He knew everything about Farrell's life, he was an expert marksman, he was an electronics bugging expert, he was a phone system expert so his calls are untraceable, he was an expert at predicting police tactics etc etc etc... and then lets himself be found just at the right time in the plot by previously phoning a traceable call from the apartment which is to be the scene of his crimes.

The ending was a cop out, I saw the pizza guy denouement a mile off without seeing any reviews or hints, who kills themselves by hacking through their own throats when police are running up the stairs outside the door and you have a gun available?

A great idea for a movie but really needed a Hitchcock to iron out the plot holes and improve the suspense.

Synopsis of this flick without spoiling the end.

[Jason_Lee · 30 April 2003]

Have you ever seen a movie that you would actually pay money to watch more than once? What if I told you that this film had a setting of only one main location, two main actors and three supporting cast members? While these elements don't make up what a classic movie sounds like on paper, add director Joel Schumacher (Bad Company, 8mm) into the mix, along with screenwriter Larry Cohen, who had this story handed down to him by Alfred Hitchcock himself about 30 years ago, and you have the perfect blend of blackmail, violence and extortion: Phone Booth. The story begins by showing a glimpse into the life of Stu Shepard (Daredevil's Colin Farrell). Stu is a New York hustler that people love to hate. He is egotistical, two-faced to everyone he knows and does what he can for personal gratification. He even fantasizes about cheating on his wife Kelly (Pitch Black's Radha Mitchell) and the object of that desire is Pamela McFadden (Dawson Creek's Katie Holmes). Pam is a young actress trying to get her first break, while Stu has been grooming her for the big time. To avoid having his calls to Pam appear on his cellular phone bill, Stu calls her from the lone phone booth left in the heart of NYC. However, things would be different on this day. Upon hanging up, he receives a call that would turn his whole world upside down. The caller (24's Kiefer Sutherland) is a sniper, who has been targeting high-profile underhanded suits, just like Stu. He has a few simple rules so that Stu does not meet the same fate that two others had before him: don't leave the booth, don't tell anyone who he's talking to, and most importantly, don't hang up. To prove his seriousness, the caller shoots and kills a pimp who tries to physically remove Stu from the booth for taking too much time with his call. This, as expected, does not help matters, and the fallen pimp's hookers now believe it was indeed Stu who committed the murder. Soon, the NYPD and numerous media outlets are covering this serious situation. Things become increasingly difficult for Stu Shepard as Kelly and Pam both show up. In the meantime, the caller continues to play various mind games, while the sympathetic NYPD Captain Ramey (Twilight Zone's Forest Whitaker) tries to solve the issue. During all of this, Stu tries to maintain his sanity and not risk any more lives. His lies no longer matter. As a result, he must now search his soul, discover himself and attempt to outsmart the caller, taking the game to a whole new level. The cinematography is outstanding. Schumacher uses the right angle for every shot, and manages to keep everyone's attention with quick pans and abrupt cuts. In the end, the 80-minute movie seems longer but not because it is boring. The biggest payoff comes with the twist ending that changes the film's outcome within sixty seconds. There was not one bad performance in Phone Booth. Farrell's ability to convert his Irish brogue to a Brooklyn drawl makes his performance as Bullseye in Daredevil look like a child's school play when compared to the Broadway-level of acting he manages here. While Mitchell and Holmes did not have lengthy parts, their roles added just enough to the story and they managed to perform up to the standards of their characters. Forest Whitaker was a surprisingly great addition to the cast and his role as a sympathetic cop is one that's not often seen, and should thus be welcomed. However, all of these actors are outshined by Kiefer Sutherland, who ends up being extremely creepy and one of the best antagonists in recent movie history by just using his voice. Will this win Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards? It probably won't. However, with a great story, top-notch directing and a cast with great chemistry, what more could you ask for? Out of a possible five stars, I give this the limit of five with desires to go even higher. While I would go see it again and again, not everyone has the same tastes. However, I would put down the $8 for a ticket to see the flick at least once. If nothing else, it will make you stop and think: the next time you enter a phone booth, just who will be watching?

Do not hang up, it's a good movie

[matlefebvre20 · 7/10 · 21 March 2007]

After seeing what he'd done with the Batman franchise and Nicolas Cage in "8MM", you wouldn't believe that Joel Schumacher could make a good movie, would you? "Phone Booth", starring Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland, is a surprisingly astounding film and a near-perfect example of psychological thriller. And I insist on both words because none of them is separable from the other.

Farrell is Stu, a NY press agent who oversees everybody and has a wife (Radha Mitchell), as well as a mistress (Katie Holmes). He seems to appreciate his lifestyle but everything is about to change into an unforgettable way.

After Stu called up his mistress in a phone booth, the phone rings. Stu answers, only to find himself ear-to-ear with a sniper (voiced by Sutherland).

It's now that the twisted mind game begins. The sniper is a typical one, ie. that he knows everything about everybody, including Stu. He claims to be some kind of angel-like figure who wants to force sinners to expiate their faults to the society. And this time, he aims Stu.

Rarely have I seen a thriller so exciting, so mind-torturing. These sensations are mainly due to Farrell and Sutherland.

Farrell offers an extraordinary performance as Stu. We can feel his fear, his anger, his desperation during the short 80 minutes of the movie. His transformation is real and sincere. We really can feel it.

Sutherland's role is as great, but for different reasons. His task is gigantic: to sound menacing, bright, skillful and sarcastic only with his voice. And he fits perfectly. The result is that the Sutherland-voiced sniper becomes as terrifying and frightening as other mind players, such as Hannibal Lecter.

Merit should also be given to screenwriter Larry Cohen. The "Phone Booth" script is easily his best after "Carrie", which he wrote almost 25 years earlier. The story is simple, but very intelligent, very developed.

The conclusion is stupendous. At first, I believed that I was watching another one of these thriller conclusions that are half-cooked because they can't render justice to the main part. But then the plot twists and we just can't believe that we've been fooled like that.

I also liked the cinematography. Mainly the screen divided in multiple parts, so the viewer can follow many scenes at once. It's nicely depicted by director Schumacher.

I deserve great regards for "Phone Booth", especially for Farrell and Sutherland. It's one of the greatest thrillers of the still young 21st century and it acts as some kind of redemption for critic scapegoat Joel Schumacher.

By the way, would you dare to go into a phone booth after you see this movie?

"Phone Booth"

[98nurdinm-1 · 7/10 · 16 June 2008]

Two names who aren't exactly my favourite names in the movie world: Colin Farrell and Joel Schumacher. The first because I often find him annoying, pretentious, arrogant, and so on. The second because I can never forgive him for "Batman & Robin".

So its fair to say I had my trepidations for this film in which Farrell is the lead and Schumacher is the director. Thankfully, I was wrong to have doubts. "Phone Booth" is a magnificent return to form for Schumacher - a suspenseful, surprising mini-labyrinth of a film, with perhaps even slight elements of Hitchcockian film making. The film is set mainly in the title phone booth and the street it is on, and once Farrell's character of Stu Shepherd gets to the aforementioned telephone we never really leave it again. For this to work properly there have to be two factors that help us to ignore the claustrophobic settings: dialogue and acting. The plot is well written, simple yet effective. All in all its mainly a two-hander between Farrell and his anonymous captive.

The latter is played with menacing vigour by Keifer Sutherland, who is never really seen throughout the majority of the film, and so has to pull of a a very convincing voice over gig. It is also a tour de force for Farrell, who takes his character from arrogant, pretentious, self-centred (hmmm...) to sympathetic, redemptive, decent. It's just a shame that there is not much of a role for the always excellent Forest Whitaker, though I'm kind of grateful that Katie Holmes has even less time.

Another complaint I would have is the length of the film. Okay, so its short, snappy and to the point, but you do feel a little short-changed towards the end. It's as if the plot ran out of money before you could finish the call. Still, for tense, enjoyable entertainment, you could do much worse than this.

7/10

Meeh.

[Ernad_Fakic · 6/10 · 14 July 2020]

A mediocre crime thriller, which holds attention as much as to be watchable. Otherwise, the story is not bad. The realization is a bit naive and pale, you can look at it, but if you get around it, you haven't missed anything special.

Farrell is great

[rbverhoef · 8/10 · 10 November 2003]

Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) uses a pay phone to call his mistress (Katie Holmes) and after he hung up the phone rings. He picks it up, of course, and learns that there is a sniper on the other side of the line. When he hangs up the sniper will shoot him, so he is told. Before he entered the booth we saw Stu talking on his cell phone as a PR-man, constantly lying to people. The sniper has observed Stu and thinks he deserves to die.

When the sniper demonstrates he is real by shooting a pimp near the booth the police arrives and thinks Stu is the shooter. Capt. Ramey (Forest Whitaker) slowly understands things are not as they seem.

Colin Farrell who is in almost every scene is great. First he looks so confident and slowly he becomes more and more desperate. The voice of the sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) is also perfect for the movie. It sounds calm but creepy, like a dangerous man who knows what he is doing.

The movie is not very long and here that is a very good thing. Scenes are not dragged to make the movie as long as most movies and therefor it doesn't get boring. It kept me on the edge of my seat. A very good thriller.

Nice short and simple movie

[SafReviews · 7/10 · 19 August 2022]

The plot is pretty simple and straightforward, but it's still intriguing and intense. I mean there's way more types of people other than Stu that probably deserve to be in that situation, but I guess the writers put him in that situation to make the bad guy seem more psychopathic. I have nothing else to say other than I thought it was cool how a movie set in predominantly in 1 location still manages to be a very interesting movie.

One location thriller delivers

[Floated2 · 8/10 · 7 May 2023]

Phone Booth is described as a one location thriller. It delivers on what it's intended to be. The acting by Colin Farrell is very convincing as a person who gets a mysterious phone call regarding knowing everything about him. Keifer Sutherland is great as the mysterious caller. His voice fits perfectly and his delivery is top notch.

For a relatively smaller film, it is never boring. There is enough that occurs and the rest of the supporting cast are also solid.

The suspense and mystery regarding the caller is great and the buildup to the character keeps you on the edge. Somewhat of a confusing ending yet overall this film is highly entertaining and it's short run time works great.

Reason and sense for doing all these?

[ak-15621 · 6/10 · 2 January 2022]

Guys the movie is okay but the things that are missing and that just felt short is first, the reason why the sniper did all these, second he is sitting either on this side or that side, how come he can see from any direction, and third why the Stu was the target. If the story shouldve been written better, this movie wovldve been an epic. But guess what the movie is short on story and sense.

I'm not saying don't watch it is a good entertainment but don't be looking up for any kind of story.

One Way To Get Your Message Across!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 19 March 2006]

I only looked at this because a friend loaned it to me so, at zero cost, what could I lose? Well, it was a lot better than I anticipated. Oddly, even though it's only 80 minutes long, I think this could have been better with about 10 minutes chopped off. It starts to repeat itself too much near the end. You have to remember, almost the whole film takes place within a phone booth!

Colin Farrell does a super job playing a sleazy guy held captive in the phone booth by a threatening sniper-caller. The story, although simple, holds your attention because there is great suspense, innovative camera-work, an involving story that hooks you in pretty fast and some great sound. I hope you have a surround sound system because the caller's (Keifer Sutherland) voice on the other end of the line is something to hear!

There is a big moral message in this film, too, about doing the right thing and paying for your sins, which Farrell sure did. It was really refreshing to hear that message, effectively told. Maybe some of us need a sniper to get the message across, but I hope not!

Are there holes in this story? Sure, but it's still good and has a cool ending. The only warning I would give readers here is the language: this is a very profane film with Farrell going overboard on the f-word. If that offends you, then stay out of this phone booth; otherwise, it's pretty entertaining

Not as good as it should be

[tohu · 6/10 · 21 May 2006]

This film is about a young guy who gets trapped in a public phone booth where he is menaced by a maniac sniper on the line who is watching him. And it's OK. My disappointment is that, for various reasons, I thought it was going to be much better.

I loved the basic premise, and I thought the casting was interesting. I'd also heard positive things about it. But in reality, far from gripping me as I thought it would, I found my mind wandering a bit by half-way through - and it's the kind of film where that shouldn't really happen.

Colin Farrell is good, as is the disembodied voice of Keifer Sutherland. The director tries a number of innovative techniques like split screens etc. which give it a curiosity value. Personally, I found the constant music soundtrack intrusive after a while but I commend them for trying it as something different.

So see it by all means. Just don't expect too much. All that's wrong with PhoneBooth is that the tension is just that bit more slack than it needs to be in films like this, and that's what makes it a decent film rather than an excellent one.

Oh My God This Movie Was So... Disappointing!

[discodog73 · 1/10 · 4 April 2003]

Oh My God This Movie Was So... Disappointing! What are the critics thinking praising this truly awful film? The situation was ridiculous. The sniper's motive were nonexistent. The acting was good, and the directing was stylistically novel, but this inane story was not only highly flawed, it was dull. I was hoping for twists (SPOILER i.e. the wife had done something bad and was the real target, and the whole film was a send up to that act; I mean come on - was his character really that flawed to warrant this action against him... he lied to people? I'm supposed to believe this was what he was being punished for?) As Colin Farrell should have exited the phonebooth after the first call - I should have exited the theater soon after.

Playing god (spoilers)

[Ricky_Roma__ · 9 October 2005]

What is it about movie villains and god-complexes? They're not merely content to cause havoc and pain; they want to educate as well.

The sniper in Phone Booth is yet another example of this. He doesn't want to just kill Stu. He wants to break him down and make him re-examine his life. He's kind of like Dr Phil with a gun. Only he's infinitely more personable than the aforementioned bald-headed ignoramus.

One of the biggest clues that the sniper is supposed to be a god-like character is the way that Kiefer Sutherland's voice-over is mixed. It doesn't sound like it's coming through a phone. Instead it just sounds like a disembodied omnipotent voice. This gives the character a more immediate, more threatening quality and it makes it easier to believe that this is a person who sees everything and hears everything.

Of course, another clue is all the moralising. Stu's a liar (he's a publicist) and he treats people rather badly, so he needs to be taught a lesson. And naturally, in this day and age of arrogant city folk, the only way to bring about change is with a gun. People just wont listen to reason any more. Fear is the only thing that will turn us into a nice, polite honest society. Yep, the sniper certainly thinks he's god.

However, all throughout the film the sniper gives various false reasons for his behaviour – his unhappy childhood, Nam, etc. It's a nice little dig at the shallow explanations that are usually provided in such films to justify certain behaviour, but even though he says in the film that he's not religious, he'd make an excellent Christian fundamentalist. He even turns the phone booth into a confessional.

And the confessional scene – the one where Stu explains everything to his wife and those around him – is a nice little comment on modern society. Before people used to unburden themselves to a priest. Now people do it over phones, in crowded streets or even in the glare of the media. Private life has dwindled and dwindled. Everything is for public consumption. Yet at the same time no one really cares. People walk around talking on their phones completely oblivious to those that surround them. Maybe a gun is the only thing that will wake them up from their self-absorbed stupor.

But I doubt Phone Booth is meant to be taken this seriously. Yeah it's fun reading between the lines but it's really just a snappy little thriller. The real enjoyment is in just seeing what happens. And thankfully, pretty much everything that happens (in movie terms at least) makes sense. After all, in these types of films, you're often asking yourself 'why did he do that?' or 'why didn't he do this?' I mean, you could make a ten minute film where he doesn't pick the phone up. But the fact that he does pick the phone up isn't too hard to believe (I've done it myself). And although one of the questions could be 'why didn't he just hang up the phone?' the writing is smart enough to keep Stu on there for plausible reasons – the sniper has lots of personal information.

And once the film is on its way – the beginning is rather dodgy, what with some idiot doing an over the top Eminem impersonation and with the snappy but uninteresting publicity stuff – it doesn't really put too many feet wrong. The tension is always there and there's a good central conflict between Stu and the sniper.

However, I do have one major reservation: the final image. At the end Kiefer Sutherland is walking through the crime scene with a case that might as well be labelled: 'sniper rifle inside'. Are the police blind? Surely even if they were certain they had their man they might get a little suspicious when a man with a rifle shaped case is inspecting the phone booth. But then again, maybe Kiefer Sutherland really is god. Now that's a scary thought