You are here:

One Missed Call

Name: One Missed Call
Director: Takashi Miike
Released: 2003
Duration: 112 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

2003

Director

Takashi Miike

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

One Missed Call is a genre-driven supernatural thriller that emphasizes technological dread over social commentary. While the film centers on female characters navigating a terrifying mystery, these roles largely align with established horror archetypes rather than challenging gender norms. The production maintains a culturally specific focus on modern Japanese society. It does not attempt to disrupt demographic norms or include diverse multi-layered identities, focusing instead on exploring fate and mobile technology. Ultimately, the film operates within a traditional suspense framework. It lacks the narrative complexity needed to engage with identity politics or the subversion of social structures.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does One Missed Call have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any characters with LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions. It follows typical genre conventions without addressing sexual orientation or gender identity.

How does One Missed Call portray gender?

Fair

Female characters play key roles in investigating the central mystery, showing strong ability to act. However, they often fit into traditional horror roles that emphasize vulnerability and fear.

How racially and ethnically diverse is One Missed Call?

Limited

The film focuses on a Japanese setting with a predominantly Japanese cast. It reflects the demographics of its setting without trying to diversify the ethnic makeup.

How does One Missed Call represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores fatalism through the lens of modern technology rather than religious morality. It does not challenge Western institutions or social frameworks.

Does One Missed Call include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities. Characters with disabilities are not used as plot devices or subjects of ridicule.

Present on Screen

Features female-driven plots where protagonists actively investigate the supernatural mystery.
Provides an authentic, culturally specific lens into modern Japanese society and technology.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.
Relies on traditional horror clichés that position female characters as subjects of vulnerability.
Does not engage with racial or ethnic diversity beyond its specific Japanese setting.

Official Synopsis

People mysteriously start receiving voicemail messages from their future selves, in the form of the sound of them reacting to their own violent deaths, along with the exact date and time of their future death, listed on the message log. The plot thickens as the surviving characters pursue the answers to this mystery which could save their lives.

How are these scores produced? →