When a Stranger Calls (1979)

 

A psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.

 

Above-average thriller with a good cast strangely falls into three parts; the highly effective opening could be a movie in itself and is not surpassed by the rest of the film.

 

Halliwell (no star): "Middling screamer extended from a short, The Sitter; a passive midsection separates a suspenseful start and finish."

 

Maltin*1/2: "Unpleasant, improbable melodrama falls apart after OK opening segment."

 

Michael Weldon/Psychotronic: "The ultimate in baby-sitter horror...Although fairly predictable, it's still suspenseful and is helped by a strong cast..."