The Most Astonishingly Awful J-Horror Remake That Slays Rotten Tomatoes

Takashi Miike's 2003 Japanese horror film, One Missed Call, is widely recognized in the genre, while its 2008 remake falls short. Despite the original's success, generating over $16 million in box office revenue, the remake surpassed this with over $45 million worldwide. However, according to Box Office Mojo, it remains one of the most unpopular horror movies of the 2000s.

Remaking a film always carries risks. A faithful replication can be dull, while straying too far from the original poses its own challenges. There are numerous factors contributing to the negative reception of the J-horror remake, One Missed Call.

What Is One Missed Call About?

What Is The Original One Missed Call About?

One Missed Call tells the story of a curse that is passed on when a person dies while angry. Beth Raymond, a college student, experiences the mysterious deaths of her friends Leann Cole and Shelley Baum. Throughout the movie, Beth discovers that Ellie Layton created the curse before her own death.

Although curses are often an effective storytelling device in horror movies and can introduce terrifying demons, this remake falls short. The curse that drives the story is the only intriguing aspect of the film. The concept of One Missed Call revolves around receiving a phone call from one's future self, revealing the time of their death. While this idea is undeniably unsettling, the remake of One Missed Call fails to captivate on its own.

What Did Critics Have To Say About One Missed Call?

: While watching One Missed Call, it's impossible not to draw comparisons to The Ring, another J-horror remake. Both movies center around deadly phone calls, but The Ring stands out as a timeless horror classic from the 2000s. With a gripping storyline that mirrors the original, The Ring successfully establishes its own identity. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the 2008 remake of One Missed Call.

The original One Missed Call revolves around Yoko Okazaki and Yumi Nakamura (played by Ko Shibasaki), who become aware of something peculiar when Yoko's cellphone starts ringing. It turns out that Yoko is receiving calls from her future self, leading to a sense of unease. Two days later, Yoko tragically passes away, prompting Yumi to investigate further. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she discovers that a curse is being spread through these eerie phone calls.

While there are several American horror films inspired by J-horror, the 2008 remake of One Missed Call fails to meet the standards of its predecessors. Fans of the genre would agree that the remake lacks the same chilling atmosphere and sinister tone that made the original so captivating. With numerous uniquely terrifying J-horror movies available, the original One Missed Call stands out among them, captivating horror enthusiasts who cannot help but root for Yumi in her quest for the truth. The remake missed the opportunity to create a compelling and intelligent character that audiences could genuinely care about, as Beth appears generic and forgettable.

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One Missed Call stands out among J-horror remakes with its 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie received a 0% on the Tomatometer based on 80 reviews and a 29% Audience Score based on over 25,000 ratings. Surprisingly, even the original One Missed Call doesn't have a highly-rated score on Rotten Tomatoes, with only a 44% rating on the Tomatometer and a 62% Audience Score. Although these scores are better than 0% and 29%, they are still relatively low.

Critics generally criticize the One Missed Call remake for being dull and lacking scares. This criticism is common for many poorly executed horror movie remakes. Often, the original film surpasses the remake in terms of character development, plot, and atmosphere. Many horror movies that revolve around technology end up being cheesy. This was certainly the case for the 2020 movie Countdown, which centered around a killer app predicting people's deaths. Both One Missed Call and Countdown fail to deliver a truly captivating story.

Several critics featured on the Rotten Tomatoes page of the film expressed the opinion that horror enthusiasts would be better off exploring alternative movies. Numerous J-horror films from the 2000s offer a greater level of enjoyment, captivation, and terror, making any of them superior and more frightening options in comparison to One Missed Call.