Now, before we get into the full breakdown of how you can watch 'When a Stranger Calls' right now, here are some finer points about the Melvin Simon Productions, Columbia Pictures horror flick. When a Stranger Calls starring Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley has a R rating, a runtime of about 1 hr 37 min. The release date of the movie is September 28th, 1979. The movie received a user score of 61/100 on TMDb, which represents input from reviews from 264 active users.
Curious about the story behind it? Here's the plot: "A student babysitter has her evening disturbed when the phone rings. So begins a series of increasingly terrifying and threatening calls that lead to a shocking revelation."
About to dive into 'When a Stranger Calls' from the comfort of your living room? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Fred Walton-directed movie via subscription can be a challenge, so we here at Moviefone want to do right by you.
We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription alternatives - along with the availability of 'When a Stranger Calls' on each platform when they are available. 'When a Stranger Calls' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Prime Video with Ads, Prime Video, Fandango At Home, Plex, Prime Video Free with Ads, Prime Video, Peacock Premium Plus, fuboTV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Screambox Amazon Channel, Fandango at Home Free, Plex Channel, Peacock Premium, Apple TV, Hoopla, Pluto TV, and Tubi TV in the US.
'When a Stranger Calls' Release Dates
When a Stranger Calls Collection
When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological horror film written and directed by Fred Walton and co-written by Steve Feke. It stars Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley and Charles Durning. The film derives its story from the classic folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs." The film has developed a large cult following over time because of the first 20 minutes, now consistently regarded as one of the scariest openings in movie history. The first 12 minutes of Wes Craven's Scream is an homage to the opening of When a Stranger Calls. The film was released in the United States on October 26, 1979, by Columbia Pictures. It was commercially successful, grossing $21,411,158 at the box office. It received a mixed critical reception, with many praising the opening scene and performances, but criticism for its writing and lack of scares. It was followed by the 1993 made-for-cable sequel When a Stranger Calls Back and a remake in 2006.
