[Review] Calls Season 1: Follow the Sound
The new series Calls will premiere tomorrow on Apple TV+. This series is very different from other shows, relying on audio narration, with only subtitles and line animations as visuals.
This series has nine episodes, each about fifteen minutes long. The entire season seems to be composed of nine independent stories, but as viewers watch the later episodes, they will discover that they share the same important setting, take place in the same world, and are even interconnected. Although each episode's story is very complete, if you watch the entire series, you will better understand the whole picture. The series mainly revolves around a series of phone calls, and the calls themselves record conversations between people. Therefore, the relationships between the protagonists are the focus of this series. Compared to traditional films and series, this show only has audio, subtitles, and simple line animations. Viewers can only understand the relationships between the protagonists through the dialogue. The series effectively uses this setting to present a series of thought-provoking relationships, attracting viewers to listen closely to their conversations and understand how their relationships change due to the events of the series. After watching each episode's story, you might reflect on your own relationships with the people around you and cherish the important people in your life even more.
To avoid spoiling the viewing pleasure of this series, I won't reveal too much of the plot here. However, I greatly admire how the production team effectively uses the unique characteristics of this series to narrate the story. The story of this series is somewhat complex. If it were presented using the typical methods of films and series, it would instead become unremarkable and lose its sense of mystery. Only by relying on audio like this series does, without directly presenting real images, can the puzzling and unsettling events in the plot be presented through the audience's imagination.
Of course, no matter how captivating the dialogue and story of this series are, it still relies on a group of excellent actors to perform. The voices of Pedro Pascal, the lead actor in The Mandalorian, Stephen Lang from Don't Breathe, Clancy Brown, and others are perfect matches for their characters. Although audio is the primary narrative medium of this series, the visuals still serve several purposes. The subtitles in this series are different from those in typical films and series. They are placed in the center, and their size changes with the development of the plot, almost like close-up shots in regular films and series, reminding viewers to pay attention to key points. Viewers watch the dialogue on screen while listening to the actors' voice performances, as if following a novel, trying to understand the mysteries surrounding the series, which is very engaging. The lines, patterns, and animations in the background of this series also bring different feelings to the plot, sometimes as still as water, sometimes with a psychedelic style, with unpredictable changes in shape and color. The frequency of the vibrations seems to simulate the characters' volume and emotions, while also moving the audience's thoughts.
Trailer:
Synopsis:
Based on the buzzy French series of the same name, Calls is a groundbreaking immersive television experience that masterfully uses only audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell bone-chilling snackable stories. Launching in a binge model worldwide, all nine 12-minute episodes are told through a series of phone calls that use sharp writing, compelling voice talent and graphics to aid in transcribing the darkly dramatic conversations onto the screen. These relatable scenarios transport the audience into familiar situations that quickly become surreal with thrilling and frightening moments.
Photo and Source: Apple TV+