‘The Call’ 2013 Movie Ending, Explained

Warning: This article contains major The Call spoilers. But you’ve also had nine years to see it, so that’s kind of on you.

It’s crazy that we’re out here giving spoiler warnings for a movie that’s been out for almost a decade, and yet here we are. Our current age of streaming means that any movie or show from the past can get rediscovered and made even bigger than it was at first release, and at any time. The latest movie to get this sort of boost is The Call, a 2013 psychological crime-thriller film that hit Netflix last week on April 10, and immediately seemed to flourish. The R-rated film (which should not be confused with the 2020 South Korean thriller movie of the same name) currently sits among Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched titles in the United States, further adding to its surge in popularity.

But of course, this fresh wave of viewers means that there are new people to ask questions like “So what’s The Call about besides, you know, a call?” and “What the heck did the ending of The Call mean?” No worries, folks, whether you’re brand new to this film or someone who watched it years ago and is still wondering what in the world went down, we’re here to help answering your burning questions. You could even say we’re here to help answer your… call.

WHAT IS THE CALL ABOUT? THE CALL PLOT SUMMARY:

Directed by Brad Anderson and written by Richard D’Ovidio, The Call follows Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), a longtime operator for LAPD 9-1-1 . She is used to dealing with difficult situations and trying to save lives on a daily basis, but still finds herself utterly devastated when she is unable to assist 15 year-old Leah Templeton (Evie Thompson), who was murdered by a home intruder after Jordan’s call back to the teen gives away the girl’s intruder to the man who had broken in. When the killer answers Jordan’s call, she tries to dissuade him from committing the crime, to which he responds, “It’s already done,” before hanging up.

Feeling broken down by and partially responsible for this tragedy, Jordan decides to give up the job, leaving behind field calls, and then six months later dedicates herself to training others to become capable 9-1-1 operators. But when rookie operator Brooke (Jenna Lamia) is unable to handle an intense, high-pressure call from kidnapped teen Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin), Jordan is forced to take charge, thus pulling the seasoned vet in on the most high-stakes and difficult rescue attempt of her career in order to save Casey’s life.

Jordan tries to trace Casey’s call, but isn’t able to since it was from a burner phone. All she knows is that a man named Michael nabbed Casey in a mall parking garage and then locked her away in his car’s trunk. While Casey is still on the line, Jordan asks her to knock out one of the car’s tail lights in order to make the car easier to find, as well as to signal to those around that she is in trouble. This seems to work when a woman catches sight of Casey’s arm as she busts the light before calling 9-1-1 from a GPS traceable phone, but Michael catches on and is quick to evade potential capture.

Refusing to give up, Jordan hears that Casey has found a can of paint in the trunk, and instructs her to pour the paint out of the broken light to attract attention. It works! Alan Denado (Michael Imperioli), another driver, notices the paint and goes to help Casey. Success? Unfortunately, no, because Michael takes swift action to knock Alan out, stuff him in the car with Casey, and eventually stab him to death. When they stop at a gas station shortly thereafter, Casey tries to get help, but Micael, ever the buzzkill, gets rid of the attendant who notices Casey’s plea by burning him alive.

When Alan and Casey eventually arrive to the former’s destination, he finally discovers Casey’s burner phone and that she has been on the line with 9-1-1 this whole time. After he takes it away, he hears Jordan inform him that the police know his identity, Michael Foster (Michael Eklund), and advises him to surrender. But when his only response before hanging up is “It’s already done,” Jordan is confronted with the horrible realization that Michael is the very same man who killed Leah all those months ago, making this even more personal for the former emergency operator.

It may seem like Michael is cornered, but things only get wilder from here, folks (which is probably why people have so many questions about the ending).

WHAT IS THE THE CALL ENDING EXPLAINED?

Led by Jordan’s boyfriend, Officer Paul Phillips (Morris Chestnut), the police raid Michael’s home, only to find the criminal’s wife and kids. Paul sees a photo of Micheal’s sister and realizes that she looks shockingly similar to Casey, and also learns that while the house in the photo has since burnt down, a nearby cottage still remains. A police search of the cottage reveals nothing so they leave, but Jordan senses that something is up and goes to the cottage herself, where she finds many pictures of Michael and his sister, who is revealed to have been suffering from leukemia.

When Jordan exits, she recognizes the sound from a nearby flagpole as one she heard at the end of her call, invigorating her search for Casey, who she now knows is nearby. She eventually finds a cellar door hidden by dirt in the spot where the burnt down house once stood, and accidentally drops her cell phone down the hole. Upon venturing down to retrieve it, several very disturbing things about Michael become clear: He had romantic feelings for his sister and grew deeply depressed after she died of cancer. He has a prop head that he has been treating as his sister. He has been scalping and killing young girls with blonde hair that was similar to his sister’s in efforts to find a scalp to match the hair that she’d lost whilst undergoing chemo.

Amidst all this, Michael is torturing Casey. As he goes to scalp her, they are discovered by Jordan, leading to a scuffle that involves Casey stabbing Michael in the back with scissors, the two women pushing him into the cellar (thereby rendering him unconscious), and tying him to a chair. Michael eventually comes to, only to be told that he will be left here to die. They have already formed a plan to claim that Casey escaped and Jordan found her in the woods, leading everyone to draw the conclusion that Michael up and vanished.

Backed into a corner, Michael taunts and berates the women before finally begging for his life like the sad, desperate creature he is. He tells them that they can’t do this to him, to which Jordan epically replies, “It’s already been done,” before locking the door, leaving him for dead. So maybe not the happiest ending, but at least one with sweet, sweet retribution for Jordan and Casey, who get to walk off, free and alive, rid of their mutual tormenter forever.

Where to watch The Call