History Main / EvilPhone

** In "The Impossible Planet", Rose gets a call from the Devil himself on her cellphone, which understandably freaks her out a bit.

** Also, in "The Impossible Planet", Rose gets a call from the Devil himself on her cellphone, which understandably freaks her out a bit.

* In VideoGame/CryOfFear, your phone is mainly used as a flashlight in the game (which is always night). However, it's also used to [[spoiler:lure Simon into the dark, abomination filled apartments]].

* ''TheBillyGoatCaller'', a short film by Dom Fera of LazerCollection fame, features a rather creepy prank caller.

* Shortly after arriving in Paris, [[VideoGame/DeusEx JC Denton]] enters an empty office with the phone ringing. Upon answering the phone, he has a short, cryptic conversation with [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Icarus]]. The use of the phone can be assumed to be pure MindScrew on Icarus' part since he can (and does) message directly to JC in other points of the game.
* ''[[VideoGame/MaxPayne Is this the Payne residence?]]''

* A variant in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'', when Phoenix gets angry at [[spoiler:(by then revealed to be the big villain)]] Matt for phoning him.

->"That's not my ringtone..."

* An unconventional example shows up in ''TheRuins''. The phone itself isn't evil or used by a villain to menace somebody, but [[spoiler:the sadistic ManEatingPlant lures its prey ''by imitating a cellphone's ringtone''.]]
* In ''ChakushinAri'' and all its sequels and the remake, young people receive voicemail messages that detail their final moments, complete with IronicNurseryRhyme ringtone.
* In the film [[InNameOnly vaguely inspired by]] ''TheMothmanProphecies'', Richard Gere gets phone calls from [[CompositeCharacter someone who is either Indrid Cold or the Mothman]]. Not quite evil, but thoroughly creepy, since his voice patterns were "outside of human vocal range".

* ''TheSilenceOfTheLambs''. ("Well, Clarice, have the little lambs stopped screaming?") The book had Lecter send Clarice a letter, instead.
* ''WhenAStrangerCalls'' plays with the urban legend of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Babysitter_and_the_Man_Upstairs The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs]].
* ''The Gate''. The protaganists are not sure what the hell (literally) is up with the huge hole in the backyard. Evidence comes when the phone rings. It seems to be Mom, checking up on the boys, but then 'Mom' screams 'You've been BAAAD!' and the phone melts. Nightmare fuel indeed.

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''GhostTrick''; [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Sissel can possess phones and use the phone lines for transportation,]] but cannot talk to people through them, even if they're holding the receiver or calling the phone he's possessing.

* At the end of the first arc of ''VisualNovel/UminekoNoNakuKoroNi'', [[spoiler:Natsuhi, Battler, George, and Jessica]] are holed up in Kinzo's study. The phone lines have been cut, as they discovered some time before when attempting to contact the police. While they're all sitting there in tense silence, all of a sudden, the phone rings. One of them goes over and picks it up... and all they hear is Maria singing [[CreepyChild creepily]] in the distance.
** Also near the end of the fourth arc, after [[spoiler: Jessica, George, and Maria]] are sent off, the phone rings, and greets Battler with..."Congratulations."

* A variant one in AceAttorney, when Phoenix gets angry at [[spoiler:the by then revealed to be the big villain]] Matt for phoning him.
---> *Phoenix's phone rings*
---> Phoenix: (Auugh! It's that Engarde again!)*Answers* Would you stop calling me already?!
---> Gumehoe: ...You're kinda mean, pal...
---> Phoenix: GAH! Detective Gumshoe! I'm really, really sorry!

* A reverse one In AceAttorney, when Phoenix gets angry at [[spoiler:the by then revealed to be the big villain]] Matt for phoning him.

** A reverse one In AceAttorney, when Phoenix gets angry at [[spoiler:the by then revealed to be the big villain]] Matt for phoning him.

* Creator/StephenKing's original idea for the phone in ''1408'' was actually ''more'' disturbing than that used on film -- the voice, as described in the original short story, doesn't so much resemble a human being as an electric razor that has learned to talk. His performance of it in the audiobook is memorable, to say the least.

* Also also by Creator/StephenKing, there is ''[[Literature/NightmaresAndDreamscapes Sorry, Right Number]]'', in which the phone isn't precisely evil, but creepy.

* In DeanKoontz's ''{{Phantoms}}'', the titular [[EldritchAbomination phantom]] likes doing this to the protagonists.

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''GhostTrick''; [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Sissel can possess phones and use them for transportation,]] but cannot talk to people through them, even if they're holding the receiver or calling the phone he's possessing.

* ALSO also also by Creator/StephenKing is the novel ''{{Cell}}'', in which cell phones initiate a ZombieApocalypse.

** INT. THE PHONE It lies on the carpet, looking both bland and somehow ominous. CAMERA MOVES IN TO ECU- the holes in the receiver once more look like huge dark chasms. We HOLD, then FADE TO BLACK.
* ALSO also also by Creator/StephenKing is the novel {{Cell}}, in which cell phones initiate a ZombieApocalypse.

** To be fair, it WAS a couple of clearly insane people calling.
*** No, no, they were stage performers, [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial and NOT two]] [[InsistentTerminology clearly insane individuals]]. Isn't that right, Jerry?

** "[[PeanutButterGamer Oh no! Now it's ringing! Thaaaaat's]] '''[[SarcasmMode SCARY!]]'''"

* {{PeanutButterGamer}}: See Silent Hill above

* Answering a certain phone in the [[{{FEAR}} F.E.A.R]] add on ''extraction point'' will result in an Alma scream that shakes the room.

----

->''That's not my ringtone...''

->''[[NightmareRetardant That's not my ringtone...]]''

->''So ur with ur honey and yur making out wen the phone rigns. U anser it n the vioce is "wut r u doing wit my daughter?" U tell ur girl n she say "my dad is ded". '''THEN WHO WAS PHONE?'''''
-->-- SoBadItsGood Horror [[MemeticMutation meme]]

* Also also by Creator/StephenKing, there is ''Sorry, Right Number'', in which the phone isn't precisely evil, but creepy.

* The hotel room phone in ''[[FourteenOhEight 1408]]''. Not only did it talk in a nightmarishly calm and pleasing woman's voice, it also melted for some reason.
** Forget "Seven days!" How creepy is it to hear "Five. This is five. Ignore the sirens. Even if you leave this room, you can never leave this room. Eight. This is eight. We have killed your friends. Every friend is now dead. Six. This is six."