Dunn's third feature film, it tells the story of Joanna, played by Emily Beecham, who after graduating from university, goes against her family and friends when she decides to join the closed order of Benedictine nuns.

[2] Empire magazine wrote that "despite the rather awkward shift from gentle humour into full-on soap opera, this is played with admirable ensemble nous and directed with a sincere grasp of the impact human foible can have on even the most fervent religious belief.

Brenda Blethyn particularly stands out, with her common sense attitude to temporal and spiritual matters confirming the validity and relevance of vocations to modern living.

"[3] The Guardian writer Catherine Shoard rated the film two stars out of five and wrote: "Half Doubt, half Hollyoaks, Jan Dunn's latest attempt to put Thanet on the cinematic map unfolds at the world's busiest, bitchiest convent: St Bertha's of Ramsgate.

Barely a scene goes by without someone self-flagellating, getting pregnant, topping themselves or having a whopping skeleton pop out of the cupboard [...] Only she [Blethyn], really, manages to ride the rollercoaster jumps in plot and tone that sadly mean The Calling may fail to speak to many.