We love to see Colin Farrell playing an unlikeable guy, it feels like there is balance in the universe. Stu is quite annoying and often offensive, and he's been having an extra-marital affair, which he then gets punished for. Phone Booth carries over this remnant of 2000s morale with a sadistic twist, but that's not what defines it. Instead, the film is a rollicking ride that appeals to both cinephiles and entertainment-seeking viewers alike, a box-office hit that would be just as thrilling and triumphant if it was released today, with the added nostalgia value of the phone booth as a thing of the past. Could it be that in 2002, Schumacher pre-empted our fears regarding internet privacy and cancel culture?

Keanu Reeves gave us Speed so Colin Farrell could give us Phone Booth: a thriller in confinement with all the suspense and dramatic effect of a live-or-die chase scene. Steeped in the early 2000s, this film offers more entertainment than wisdom, and this is just how we like it. Joel Schumacher teams up with versatile cinematographer Matthew Libatique and horror editor Mark Stevens to deliver a masterclass in film style, utilizing limited cast and locations through inventive camera angles, harsh edits, split screens, and portraying the events in near-real time. Accelerated pulse and breathing are guaranteed, all thanks to something as simple as a cut.