'The Call' exhilarating but deserves better ending

Notwithstanding a ridiculous final act that seemingly belongs to a different film, ‘The Call’ is a slick, nail-biting thriller that propels us satisfyingly close to the edge of our seats.

Director Brad Anderson navigated emotionally richer terrain on the big screen in his earlier films, ‘The Machinist’ and ‘Transsiberian’. However, recent stints behind the camera on TV series ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Alcatraz’ and ‘The Killing’ serve him well here and he cranks up tension with aplomb.