LONDON: There’s a temptation, after the first couple of minutes of new Apple TV+ show “Calls,” to wonder why this series wasn’t turned into a podcast instead. After all, the nine-part thriller — based on a French series of the same name — has no on-screen actors, no seen locations and no elaborate set pieces. Instead, each short-form episode consists of on-screen text transcribing a series of seemingly unconnected phonecalls, and a series of screensaver-like abstract visuals.
But in actual fact, it’s worth pushing through that initial skepticism, because when the momentum starts to build, “Calls” makes for an intriguing ‘viewing’ experience. In many ways, the lack of on-screen cues intensifies the story. After all, director Fede Álvarez (the 2013 “Evil Dead” movie and “Don’t Breathe”) has assembled an A-list cast, overflowing with big Hollywood names. But when you can’t see them (and when you don’t find out exactly which A-listers you’ve been listening to until the end credits roll), your focus stays on the script, and the show’s main premise — even as it’s portioned out in tantalizingly small increments — becomes something that lodges in the brain after the end of each episode. Similarly, as more of the (slightly) fantastical plot is revealed, those screensaver visuals begin to take on more significance, giving viewers an insight into that’s going on between the faceless cast.
On paper, “Calls” has the air of a pretentious, over-conceptualized film-school experiment that should be interesting rather than entertaining. In reality, however, some impressive voice work, clever pacing, and plot reveals that credit audiences with the ability to follow the meandering story, make for a show that is captivatingly enthralling. You could just listen to the episodes like a podcast, sure, and you’d be able to follow what’s going on. But to do so would miss out on what makes this series unique.
