When A Stranger Calls (2006 Film Review)

Directed by: Simon West; Written by Jake Wade Wall (Based upon When a Stranger Calls by Steve Feke and Fred Walton)
Starring: Camilla Belle, Brian Geraghty, Katie Cassidy, and Clark Gregg MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 87 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 6/10

Jill's best friend kissed her boyfriend, and then she spent all her cellphone minutes listening to her boyfriend's apologies. As punishment for costing her parents a small fortune, Jill's phone and car are taken away and then she's forced to babysit at a high-tech rural mansion during a windstorm. No sooner have the mansion's homeowners left with their children sleeping in bed than the phone starts ringing. Turns out it's some creep breathing into the phone, but he calls again and again, and starts making threats...and he seems to be right outside. Soon, an isolated, terrified Jill is fighting to survive the night.
I didn't see 2006's When a Stranger Calls in the theater, but I remember seeing star, Camilla Belle, in commercials and modeling gigs and thinking that she was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen. I wondered, several years later, why her acting career had not taken off. Well, 20 years later, I have finally seen When a Stranger Calls (a remake of the first half of the 1979 film of the same name). I have seen a lot of women in the past 20 years, but Camilla Belle is still one of the most beautiful ones I have ever laid eyes upon. I understand why her acting career didn't really take off, though: she isn't the best actress. She never really rises above the level of "popstar in a movie" acting quality here, but When a Stranger Calls doesn't really require much more of her than that. Belle just has to look scared, deliver a few lines, and run around...while looking, really, really good. Jill is a track star, a screenwriter's wise choice to make her evasion of the killer late in the movie more believable, and apparently Belle undertook a tough physical regimen in the leadup to filming. It pays off, but I must make it clear, a large amount of my enjoyment of this film is centered around...enjoying the lead actress, so if that does nothing for the viewer, they will be approaching this movie from a deficit. However, When a Stranger Calls does have other assets. 
First of all, the film is a lean little thriller. At under 90-minutes, there's essentially no fat, and Con Air director, Simon West, makes sure every moment feels as extreme as possible. West also employs James Dooley, who co-composed the score for 2002's The Ring, to create the music here, and Dooley follows his extreme boss by providing loud, creepy music from start to finish. This element won't be everyone's cup of tea, as it's more than a bit over the top, but I appreciated it in the context of the film. The setting is another major asset.
When A Stranger Calls is set and shot in rural Colorado, a nice change of pace from standard Hollywood fare. The house itself is a great setting, highly unique, and featuring a giant "tropical" room at its center, with a large koi pond and birds. Thankfully, the film utilizes this room quite a bit. The special effects behind the storm hitting the area are also solid.
Again, 2006's When a Stranger Calls won't be everyone's cup of tea, and I understand its critical drubbing. But even if it is far from a great film, I enjoyed it. Also, does anyone know if Belle is single? Tim Tebow broke up with her to literally marry Miss Universe, so I am sure I'm up to snuff.