Chakushin Ari
The original One Missed Call; Takashi Miike's romp into commercial horror.
The story centers on Yumi, a college student whose friends begin to receive mysterious voicemails, announced by a creepy children's song. The only one who believes her friend's deaths aren't suicides (at first) is a young policeman named Yamashita, whose sister also received the Call of Death.
Two sequels and a TV drama series were made from the film.
Tropes used in Chakushin Ari include:
- Abandoned Hospital
- Calling Card: Each victim spits out a hard red candy, which the killer gave to her victim when she was taken to the hospital.
- Cell Phone
- Chekhov's Gun: For the audience, Yumi's classroom scene, where we are taught what Munchausen by proxy is; later we realize the killer has it
- Convicted by Public Opinion: the mother
- Disc One Final Boss: The mother.
- Evil Phone
- For the Evulz: Kind of subverted, since the spirit has Munchausen by proxy.
- Haunted Technology
- High Octane Nightmare Fuel: Natsumi's death.
- Ironic Nursery Rhyme: The aforementioned ringtone.
- Mind Screw: The ending.
- Paranoia Fuel: The ringtone.
- Police Are Useless: Except for Yamashita.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: And will reach you, through any phone.
- The Un-Reveal: What's up with Yamashita and Possessed!Yumi?