Phone Booth

KIEFER RULES! The main star in this inventive thriller for me is not the great Colin Farrell, but the absolutely perfect voice performance of Keifer Shuterland. I wouldn’t want to see this film dubbed. And I also wonder how the video distributors will handle it when converting it to VHS format. Schumacher divides the screen into several windows in which we see the plot running simultaneously from different locations. It's nothing new, but I like this method often used in the 1960s. (24.08.2003)

Even after watching this film twenty times, it's still an inventive, clever, and suspenseful thriller where Joel Schumacher, constrained by budget and shooting days, lets the entire weight of the plot be carried by the polished dialogue of the Farrell-Sutherland pair. For this, the biggest thanks go to Larry Cohen, who did have some mistakes and logical question marks in the script, but the witty social criticism together with the escalation of the plot reliably carries the film for the entire 70-minute runtime. (28.02.2009)

Yeah, when the phone rings in the booth nearby again, I can't even imagine going to pick it up... or can I? Joel Schumacher's film meets all the criteria of an "intelligent" thriller. Minimalist design, great acting (especially the rebirth of narcissist Farella is a delicacy!), interesting work with images (the twisting of shots increases the tension and gradient), decent music and especially a solidly written screenplay which, with a minimum of resources, escalates the absurdity and horror of the situation in which the hostage of the voice on the phone finds himself. I could probably do without tacky and theatrical ending. All in all, it's not a movie that I get overly excited about, but I certainly recommend watching it on movie night for sure... (03.07.2004)

I’m grateful to Telecom/Télefonica O2 for getting rid of the telephone boxes from my neighborhood. I’m such a dummy that I also might pick up a forlorn call. Just that I’m in no way such a hot shot like Farrell. I’d be a darn piece of cake for “that guy". And for this movie is a piece of cake too because everything works as it should and practically all came out unprecedentedly well. Especially the atmosphere. Something that would be hard to find in a regular Prague phone booth. (20.01.2007)

How much does each of us hide? How much do we pretend in front of others and what will we do when we are exposed? What if his threats are not empty and the secret he reveals won't be the end of it? How quickly are we able to reassess our highest priorities when it comes to life, not just for ourselves, but also for those closest to us? It was a perfectly delicious pizza, and you're certainly going to wish you had accepted it.... Colin Farrell's perfect performance and the brilliant voice acting of the sniper in a film, which at the time had absolutely no competition. Even many subsequent screenings cannot change the fact that Joel Schumacher and Larry Cohen had surpassed themselves forever. (22.12.2005)

An amazing thriller that bowled me over. The concert of acting by Colin Farrell and the chilling voice of Kiefer Sutherland glued my eyes to the screen from the start and taught me some... um, lessons. For instance, since then I don’t like telling lies and I’ve stopped calling from phone booths. You can never be too careful. (31.12.2005)

Joel Schumacher is truly a unique person, he can make crap like Batman & Robin, but he can also make gems like Falling Down or 8mm. This project, Phone Booth, is considered the pinnacle of his filmography because it has everything a film in this genre should have: a great main hero, a devilish villain, captivating atmosphere, excellent camera work, and solid music. That's why it is one of the best thrillers of the year. (26.10.2003)

I remember standing outside the theater, debating if a movie mostly set in a phone booth was worth the ticket. I ended up skipping it, but after watching it on DVD at home, I regretted not going. This is a brilliantly intense thriller packed with emotion, all driven by Colin Farrell’s excellent performance. (16.02.2009)

By the end of the film, the script didn't seem to know which way to go, so all of a sudden something happened that could have happened at any time, and it was so rushed and just weird that it kind of ruined Phone Booth for me. However, the previous hour was good and I certainly wouldn't want my bad conscience to have the voice of a giggling Kiefer Sutherland. (05.07.2016)

The maximum out of the minimum, there's probably no better way to describe Phone Booth. Joel Schumacher managed to turn a simple and unassuming idea into a thrilling and dynamic thriller that ranks among the best of the turn of the millennium. I was surprised by Colin Farrell, who pulls it all off with the grace inherent in the most brilliant actors and contributes greatly to the final quality of the film, which could not have been better given the premise. I hope that Schumacher is yet to say his final word. (15.06.2012)

Phone Booth remains effective even after years, even though the actual phone booth might seem like an outdated relic found only in museums nowadays. This is also a beautiful example of how times evolve. But it's somewhat irrelevant because even in another 13 years, this will still be a compelling and claustrophobic drama that will have the same positive effect on the viewer. Joel Schumacher has really done well here. (21.04.2015)

Considering the short time in which this movie was made, it can’t be called anything but a masterpiece. It grips you from the first to the last minute and won't let go even for a second. The script is excellent, but it was brought to perfection by two men. Namely, Joel Schumacher, who really proved what a director he is and especially Colin Farrell, because his acting performance is one of the best I've ever seen. (10.09.2012)