Phone Booth

2002 Mystery & Suspense

One man's life is thrown into turmoil by picking up a telephone in this claustrophobic thriller. Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a brash, cynical, and self-centered public relations man who juggles a busy career with both a wife, Kelly (Radha Mitchell), and a mistress, Pamela (Katie Holmes). Stu steps into a phone booth on a busy New York street to make a call to Pamela without Kelly being the wiser, but as soon as Stu hangs up, the phone begins to ring. Curious, Stu picks it up -- and a stranger on the other end (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) informs him that if he hangs up the phone, he'll be shot. The red dot of an infrared rifle scope convinces Stu that the caller means business, and when another man tries to make his way into the booth, he's shot mere inches from Stu, calling the attention of the police. Captain Ramey (Forest Whitaker) naturally assumes that Stu was the killer, as Stu struggles to find a way to convince the police of what's happening before more lives are lost, without leaving the booth and putting his own life on the line. At one time proposed as a vehicle for Jim Carrey, Phone Booth was directed by Joel Schumacher, from a screenplay by exploitation icon Larry Cohen. more..

Director: Joel Schumacher

Starring: Colin Farrell,Kiefer Sutherland,Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Paula Jai Parker

Reviews

  • Provides a reminder of the power of unadorned drama and language -- whole torrents of eloquent words -- in the service of a nifty idea.

    Joe Morgenstern - The Wall Street Journal

    26 April 2013

  • The movie is essentially a morality play, and it's not a surprise to learn that Larry Cohen, the writer, came up with the idea 20 years ago--when there were still phone booths and morality plays.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • Farrell is a dynamo. And Kiefer Sutherland, whose sniper role is essentially a voice on the phone, matches Farrell subtle shift for subtle shift.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • The result is a movie that combines a seriousness of purpose with an impish delight in craft, in a way Hitchcock would have appreciated.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    26 April 2013

  • Short, suspenseful, funny, and profane, the film's a throwback to the neat little B-level thrillers the entertainment industry used to crank out by the dozen in the post- World War II era and the early days of TV.

    Ty Burr - The Boston Globe

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Film: Best Supporting Actor

    Black Reel Awards (2004)

     
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

    Image Awards (2004)

     
  • Best Villain

    MTV Movie Awards (2004)

     
  • Best Colin Farrell in a Movie (Mejor Colin Farrell en una Película)

    MTV Movie Awards, Mexico (2004)

     
  • Choice Movie Actor - Drama/Action Adventure

    Teen Choice Awards (2003)