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Phone Booth

  • 2002
  • R
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
297K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,659
261
Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes, Colin Farrell, and Radha Mitchell in Phone Booth (2002)
Trailer
Play trailer2:29
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Psychological ThrillerCrimeThriller

Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller ... Read allPublicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.

  • Director
    • Joel Schumacher
  • Writer
    • Larry Cohen
  • Stars
    • Colin Farrell
    • Kiefer Sutherland
    • Forest Whitaker
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    297K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,659
    261
    • Director
      • Joel Schumacher
    • Writer
      • Larry Cohen
    • Stars
      • Colin Farrell
      • Kiefer Sutherland
      • Forest Whitaker
    • 728User reviews
    • 149Critic reviews
    • 56Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 8 nominations total

    Videos2

    Phone Booth
    Trailer 2:29
    Phone Booth
    What Roles Has Colin Farrell Been Considered For?
    Clip 3:40
    What Roles Has Colin Farrell Been Considered For?
    What Roles Has Colin Farrell Been Considered For?
    Clip 3:40
    What Roles Has Colin Farrell Been Considered For?

    Photos114

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    Top cast54

    Edit
    Colin Farrell
    Colin Farrell
    • Stu Shepard
    Kiefer Sutherland
    Kiefer Sutherland
    • The Caller
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Captain Ramey
    Radha Mitchell
    Radha Mitchell
    • Kelly Shepard
    Katie Holmes
    Katie Holmes
    • Pamela McFadden
    Paula Jai Parker
    Paula Jai Parker
    • Felicia
    Arian Ash
    Arian Ash
    • Corky
    Tia Texada
    Tia Texada
    • Asia
    John Enos III
    John Enos III
    • Leon
    Richard T. Jones
    Richard T. Jones
    • Sergeant Cole
    Keith Nobbs
    Keith Nobbs
    • Adam
    Dell Yount
    Dell Yount
    • Pizza Guy
    James MacDonald
    James MacDonald
    • Negotiator
    • (as James Macdonald)
    Josh Pais
    Josh Pais
    • Mario
    Yorgo Constantine
    Yorgo Constantine
    • ESU Commander
    Colin Patrick Lynch
    Colin Patrick Lynch
    • ESU Technician
    Troy Gilbert
    • ESU Sniper
    Richard Paradise
    • ESU Guy
    • Director
      • Joel Schumacher
    • Writer
      • Larry Cohen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews728

    7.1297.1K
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    Featured reviews

    7michaelRokeefe

    When a phone rings...

    Director Joel Schumacher preserves his reputation with a script by Larry Cohen about personal morals and hopefully the truth providing some kind of redemption. This is a white knuckle nerve wrecker about a self-serving publicist(Colin Farrell)making the mistake of his life by answering a public telephone. On the other end of the phone is a self empowered mad man(Kiefer Sutherland) inflicting demands on the fast talking, fast thinking publicity dealer who just happened to be walking by the phone booth he passes every day. The mystery voice on the phone demands the publicist to stay in the phone booth until he tells his wife(Radha Mitchell)and the TV watching public of his cheating, lying and making use of others. Of course behind the demanding voice is a sharpshooter that is not afraid to pull the trigger. The senior officer on the scene(Forest Whitaker)tries to make sense of the situation while fighting back thoughts of his own past personal problems. At least 90% of this thriller is made up of witty, threatening and revealing banter between Farrell and Sutherland. And talk about a clever twist to end this flick. Also of note in the cast are: Katie Holmes, Richard T. Jones and Paula Jai Parker. Think twice about answering that ringing phone.
    7TheLittleSongbird

    Quite interesting and entertaining

    I do find Schumacher's films hit(Veronica Guerin) and miss(Batman and Robin), but the premise of Phone Booth seemed interesting, so I checked the film out. It was interesting and entertaining, but the script is sketchy with not much development to character, the ending is predictable and the story has several interesting and suspenseful moments but feels rushed towards the end. However, it is stylishly filmed, with some great camera work especially, Schumacher's direction is efficient and the soundtrack is compliments Phone Booth very well. The acting also helps lift, Colin Farell is very good and Forest Whittacker is solid as usual but the star turn was Kiefer Sutherland who was suitably malevolent as the caller. Overall, entertaining and mostly good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
    8rbverhoef

    Farrell is great

    Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) uses a pay phone to call his mistress (Katie Holmes) and after he hung up the phone rings. He picks it up, of course, and learns that there is a sniper on the other side of the line. When he hangs up the sniper will shoot him, so he is told. Before he entered the booth we saw Stu talking on his cell phone as a PR-man, constantly lying to people. The sniper has observed Stu and thinks he deserves to die.

    When the sniper demonstrates he is real by shooting a pimp near the booth the police arrives and thinks Stu is the shooter. Capt. Ramey (Forest Whitaker) slowly understands things are not as they seem.

    Colin Farrell who is in almost every scene is great. First he looks so confident and slowly he becomes more and more desperate. The voice of the sniper (Kiefer Sutherland) is also perfect for the movie. It sounds calm but creepy, like a dangerous man who knows what he is doing.

    The movie is not very long and here that is a very good thing. Scenes are not dragged to make the movie as long as most movies and therefor it doesn't get boring. It kept me on the edge of my seat. A very good thriller.
    8Floated2

    One location thriller delivers

    Phone Booth is described as a one location thriller. It delivers on what it's intended to be. The acting by Colin Farrell is very convincing as a person who gets a mysterious phone call regarding knowing everything about him. Keifer Sutherland is great as the mysterious caller. His voice fits perfectly and his delivery is top notch.

    For a relatively smaller film, it is never boring. There is enough that occurs and the rest of the supporting cast are also solid.

    The suspense and mystery regarding the caller is great and the buildup to the character keeps you on the edge. Somewhat of a confusing ending yet overall this film is highly entertaining and it's short run time works great.
    9what3v3r

    Gosh! And 10 days was all it took to be filmed!!

    Colin Farrell is a self-professed star publicist with an attitude to boot. Watch 81 minutes of gut-wrenching nerve-wracking dialog reduce a pretentious "kiss my ass" punk into an enervated and regretful reprobate. Farrell is simply awesome in portraying the gravity of the situation. "The Caller"'s voice is absolutely worth a mention. Calm, creepy and authoritative! Something different and the movie would have fallen flat on its 'flab less' anterior. Sutherland plays 'The Caller', manning a high profile sniper rifle, while he thrusts honesty upon Stu Shephard (Colin Farrell). Frankly, I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen for a second.

    Ebert himself was marvelled by the creativity of "Phone Booth". Why! It wasn't without good reason! A gaudy character stuck inside a phone booth in a busy locale, some good camera work, bunch of apartment windows, a psycho sniper and 10 days of excellent filming supported by a 'worth a mention' cast easily will manage to get into a good bundle of "top ten" lists. Fabulous entertainment and a good display of creativity. Graham Bell is still aiding marvels, I guess!

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (2014)
    Psychological Thriller
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The phone actually worked, and there was someone on the other line talking to Colin Farrell speaking as the caller, but Kiefer Sutherland's voice was added in during post-production.
    • Goofs
      At the end of the movie as Stu (Colin Farrell) lies in the ambulance after being shot, he is given medication for the pain which makes him very disoriented just in time for The Caller (Kiefer Sutherland) to show up and taunt him. The person who administered the medication just hops out of the ambulance. Any time an injured person would be given such a strong medicine, they would be monitored to ensure that they have no negative reaction.
    • Quotes

      Stu: I have never done anything for anybody who couldn't do something for me. I string along an eager kid with promises I'll pay him money. I only keep him around because he looks up to me. Adam, if you're watching, don't be a publicist. You're too good for it. I lie in person and on the phone. I lie to my friends. I lie to newspapers and magazines who, who sell my lies to more and more people. I am just a part of a big cycle of lies, I should be fuckin' president. I wear all this Italian shit because underneath I still feel like the Bronx. I think I need these clothes and this watch. My two thousand dollar watch is a fake and so am I. I've neglected the things I should have valued most. I valued this shit. I take off my wedding ring to call Pam. Kelly, that's Pam. Don't blame her. I never told her I was married. And if I did she, she would have told me to go home. Kelly, looking at you now, I'm ashamed of myself. All right? I mean, I work so hard on this image, on Stu Shepherd, the asshole who refers to himself in the third person, that I only proved I should be alone. I have just been dressing up as something I'm not for so long, I'm so afraid no one will like what's underneath. But here I am, just flesh and blood and weakness, and uh and I love you so fucking much. And, um, I take off this ring because it only reminds me of how I've failed you, and I don't, don't want to give you up. I want to make things better, but it may not be my choice anymore. You deserve better.

    • Crazy credits
      The 20th Century Fox logo blends into the white clouds that open the film.
    • Alternate versions
      The FX Network airs this movie with Jared Leto's deleted scene reinserted to bring up the film's running time to fit a two-hour block.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Phone Booth/A Man Apart/Eddie Griffin: Dysfunktional Family/What a Girl Wants/Better Luck Tomorrow/Stevie (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Operator
      Written by William Spivery

      Produced by Nathan Larson

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 4, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Swahili
    • Also known as
      • Enlace mortal
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
      • Zucker/Netter Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $46,566,212
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $15,021,088
      • Apr 6, 2003
    • Gross worldwide
      • $97,837,138
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 21m(81 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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