‘Be careful who you prank’
Don’t Hang Up is a 2016 British horror thriller film directed by Damien Macé and Alexis Wajsbrot, making their directorial debut, from a screenplay by Joe Johnson. It stars Gregg Sulkin, Garrett Clayton, Bella Dayne and Sienna Guillory.
Plot:
While not in class, Brady (Garrett Clayton) and his best friend Sam (Gregg Sulkin) spend their time making prank calls that they upload online to receive millions of views. As their online celebrity begins to rise, the boys escalate their pranks to a dangerous level.
One evening, Brady and Sam receive a prank call of their own, igniting a nightmare for the pair of teenagers when the mysterious caller turns their own game against them with deadly consequences…
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Reviews:
“Don’t Hang Up brings Saw-like judgement to a Scream-like scenario, but it succeeds in being its own creation by delivering some fun thrills, plenty of blood, and a smart turn or two. It touches on tech issues related to computer security too, and while its efforts pale beside the likes of The Den they’re enough to add some real-world scares to the proceedings.” Film School Rejects
“What works here is that everyone is a pretty strong actor here. The two leads are equally likable and moronic in their own affable manner and I have to saw it is fun seeing their machismo melt as they realize how much danger they are in once the voice on the line starts threatening them.” Ain’t It Cool News
” …most of the movie is devoted to reprehensible behavior and easily avoidable mistakes, with Mr. Lee’s scheme of torment almost justified. Don’t Hang Up conjures an evening of grim discoveries and threats, eventually graduating to a body count, and there’s never a moment where the boys don’t completely earn the agony, which feels like a major miscalculation in what ends up a bland, unsatisfying feature.” Blu-ray.com
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“Given that both films involve social media-motivated terror and a bullying-gone-wrong via text and video framing device, a close comparative cousin is Unfriended. Where that movie’s teenage tone had limited appeal, Don’t Hang Up succeeds through engaging acting compensating for clichéd characterizations and effective atmosphere elevating suspense.” Culture Crypt
“It’s abundantly clear that the target audience is the YouTube generation and anyone else who still finds entertainment value in these kinds of internet personalities that prank each other to no end. If you fit that description, you may actually get a kick out of Don’t Hang Up in spite of its flaws. For everyone else, it’s almost dead on arrival.” Cinema Slasher
“It’s a fairly fun contained thriller, with some nice sadism thrown in and some actual surprises. But this subject is so rife and relevant and ready for an ambitious exploration that I wanted more. It just fails to live up to the promise of its premise for me.” UK Horror Scene
Release:
In the US, the film was released theatrically on February 10, 2017 by Vertical Entertainment. A DVD release by Lions Gate was released on April 4, 2017.
A British DVD release by Matchbox Films was released on 12th June 2017 with a Digital DH on 26th June 2017.
Main cast and characters:
- Gregg Sulkin … Sam Fuller
- Garrett Clayton … Brady Mannion
- Bella Dayne … Peyton Grey
- Sienna Guillory … Mrs. Kolbein
- Edward Killingback … Roy
- Jack Brett Anderson … Jeff Mosley
- Robert Goodman … Larry
- Mike Bodie … Mr Frazier (voice) (as Michael Bodie)
- Philip Desmeules … Mr. Lee (voice)
- Parker Sawyers … Mr. Lee
- Alex Dee … Brady’s Dad
- Jane Ryall … Brady’s Mom
- Connie Wilkins … Izzy
- Chris Wilson … Police Officer
- Chantal Eder … News Reporter
- Bob Egerton … Los Angeles Police Officer
Production companies:
- Bigscope Films
- Don’t Hang Up Film
- Wild Spark
