''Calls'' is a mystery thriller analog animated miniseries created by

Fede Álvarez Federico Javier Álvarez Mattos (; born February 9, 1978) is a Uruguayan filmmaker. He is best known for directing the films ''Evil Dead (2013 film), Evil Dead'' (2013), ''Don't Breathe'' (2016), and ''Alien: Romulus'' (2024). Early life Álvare ...

. The show is based on a French television series of the same name created by Timothée Hochet. The series is a co-production between

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...

and French network Canal+, the latter being the production company behind the original French version. It premiered on Apple TV+ on March 19, 2021. It received acclaim from critics and audiences. The series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Motion Design.

Premise

Told through a series of interconnected phone conversations, these conversations chronicle the mysterious story of a group of strangers whose lives are thrown into disarray in the lead-up to an apocalyptic event. ''Calls'' allows "audiences to experience short stories through real-life audio sources and minimal visuals."

Cast

* Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Mark *

Aubrey Plaza Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began performing Improvisational theatre, improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University ...

as Dr. Rachel Wheating * Ben Schwartz as Andy *

Clancy Brown Clarence James Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. His film roles include Rawhide in ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Ban ...

as General Wilson *

Danny Huston Daniel Sallis Huston (born May 14, 1962) is an American-British actor, director and screenwriter. A member of the Huston family of filmmakers, he is the son of director John Huston and half-brother of actress Anjelica Huston. He is known for ...

as Frank *

Danny Pudi Daniel Mark Pudi (born March 10, 1979) is an American actor and director. His roles include Abed Nadir on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he received three nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supp ...

as Dr. Burman * Edi Patterson as Darlene * Gilbert Owuor as Craig *

Jaeden Martell Jaeden Martell ( né Lieberher; born January 4, 2003) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, with roles in the comedy drama '' St. Vincent'' (2014) and science fiction film '' Midnight Special'' (2016). His performance in ''S ...

as Justin * Jenica Bergere as Mom *

Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player. Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing, she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, and a GLAAD Award, ...

as Mother *

Joey King Joey Lynn King (born July 30, 1999) is an American actress. She starred as Ramona Quimby in the comedy film '' Ramona and Beezus'' (2010) and gained wider recognition for her lead role as a late-blooming teenager in ''The Kissing Booth'' film ...

as Skylar * Johnny Sneed as Perry *

Judy Greer Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in Judy Greer filmography, a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for ...

as Alexis * Karen Gillan as Sara * Laura Harrier as Layla * Lily Collins as Camila *

Mark Duplass Mark David Duplass (born December 7, 1976) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician. With his brother Jay Duplass, he started the film production company Duplass Brothers Productions in 1996, for which they wrote and directed ''The ...

as Patrick *

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

as Sam *

Nicholas Braun Nicholas Joseph Braun (born May 1, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Hirsch in the HBO series ''Succession'' (2018–2023), for which he received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...

as Tim * Paola Nuñez as Ana * Paul Walter Hauser as Floyd * Pedro Pascal as Pedro *

Riley Keough Danielle Riley Keough ( ; born May 29, 1989) is an American actress. Born into the Presley family, she is the oldest daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and the eldest grandchild of Elvis Presley. She initially started her career as a model from 200 ...

as Rose *

Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama '' Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in B ...

as Katherine *

Stephen Lang Stephen Lang (born July 11, 1952) is an American stage and screen actor. He gained fame for his role as main antagonist Miles Quaritch, Colonel Miles Quaritch in James Cameron's ''Avatar (2009 film), Avatar'' (2009), for which he won the Saturn ...

as Dr. Wheating

Production

On June 21, 2018, it was reported that

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series, an English-language adaptation of original French series ''Calls'', was created by original series creator Timothée Hochet. The show is a co-production between

and French network Canal+. Alongside Apple's series order announcement, it was confirmed that Apple had acquired the rights to the existing season of the original French series.

Episodes

Reception

The review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

reports that 95% of 20 reviews are positive for the series, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The critics consensus states, "Recalling the immersive serials of radio's heyday, ''Calls'' weaves a spooky mystery with terrific vocal performances and unsettling ambience — letting the visual storytelling play out in viewers' horrified imaginations."

References

External links

* on

* {{Apple TV+ 2020s American animated television miniseries 2020s American drama television miniseries 2020s American mystery television series 2020s French drama television series 2020s French television miniseries 2021 American animated television series debuts 2021 American television series endings 2021 French television series debuts 2021 French television series endings American television series based on French television series American thriller television series Apple TV+ original programming Canal+ original programming American English-language television shows French mystery television series Telephony in popular culture Works by Fede Álvarez Works by Rodo Sayagues