If you’re looking for a hidden gem on Apple TV you might have missed, there’s a really unique one you probably passed by and didn’t think twice about. I watched Calls when it first came out in 2021 and was initially weirded out, then intrigued. Before I knew it, I was completely caught up in the plot. It’s unlike anything you have ever seen precisely because there isn’t much to see. It’s a show you watch, but it requires a lot of imagination and listening. If it sounds bizarre, that’s because it is.
All you see on screen in Calls are abstract images representing voice waveforms and live text that appears as the characters speak. A-list actors play these characters, and each of the nine episodes of this mystery-thriller analog animated miniseries stands on its own with a different character. But there’s a thematic link that ties them together. While you might at first think the show isn’t worth your time, too strange to understand the appeal, it really does draw you in.
Calls is unlike anything you’ve seen
You’ll be hooked by the end of the first episode
The immersive sci-fi series Calls was created by Fede Álvarez, and while it’s a unique concept, it is actually based on a French series created by Timothée Hochet. Co-produced by Apple and Canal+, every episode centers around a phone call between two or more people. Something strange is happening, and they are navigating how this is impacting their life.
There are elements of panic, suspense, intrigue, and sci-fi. And yes, this is possible even though you’re only watching swirling and cascading lines, geometric patterns, pulsing curves, and moving real-time captions combined with other auditory elements. The way the animations move evokes emotion and fits perfectly in sync with what you’re hearing. In fact, the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Motion Design.
The intensity in someone’s voice arouses feelings of horror, fear, and terror while the occasional calmness keeps you on edge. The patterns and images don’t just match the voices like a speaker with lights that pulse to the beat of the music does. They move, appear and disappear, expand, retract, and pop up in ways that allow your brain to see more than what’s actually there. It’s a really strange experience that puts all your senses on notice.
You paint the picture
The audio tells the story
When you watch Calls, it’s sort of like reading a book on the big screen where you’re left to create the picture in your head. This is easy to do since the voices are those of well-known actors you’ll instantly recognize. The cast, as noted, shifts from episode to episode, but includes names like Aubrey Plaza, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Tilly, Nick Jonas, Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Joey King, Paul Walter Hauser, and more. It takes a special kind of talent, after all, to convey such expressive emotion without actually being seen.
Without giving too much away about the overarching plot, it’s a show that involves an apocalyptic scenario, a trend of late with TV shows. One story, for example, follows a long-distance couple about to break up over the phone. The woman suddenly panics when she sees an intruder who doesn’t look human. In another, a man believes he has accidentally killed his girlfriend only to see her appear at his door. Themes involve time travel, supernatural beings, and strange occurrences, and the dates of each episode come together to explain the story in a non-linear fashion.
You don’t need the images
It’s a delight to the senses
By the time you get to the second episode, you won’t miss not having actual images. The actors’ voices already paint a picture, especially if you recognize them. The moving images combined with the strategic placement and appearance of the text are enough to draw you in. But keep in mind that this isn’t the type of show you can watch while multitasking on your phone, nor would you want to. While the stories don’t initially seem like they exist in the same world, you can eventually put together what is happening when, and you’ll learn why by the end. But trying to figure it out is also part of the mystery.
We are spoiled for choice when it comes to post-apocalyptic stories nowadays, with shows like Fallout, Silo, Paradise, The Last of Us, and The Walking Dead. But Calls is not only harsher, grittier, and bleaker, but it offers something very different from every other post-apocalyptic show, and every show from any genre, period. The 95% Rotten Tomatoes critics score, which has held firm over the last five years, speaks volumes. If you give this show a shot, you won’t regret it. Just put your phone down and give it your full attention.