When the Dark Man Calls is a 1995 American made-for-television thriller film directed by Nathaniel Gutman and starring Joan Van Ark and Chris Sarandon based on the 1984 novel of the same name.
The past of a radio talk show host comes back to haunt her as her parents' killer is released from jail after 25 years.
[3][4] Julianne Kaiser (Van Ark) is a radio host and therapist who's going through a divorce with her daughter's father, Max.
Feeling worried, Julie calls her brother Lloyd, telling him that she saw a man by the name of Parmenter (Lewis) earlier that night.
After dropping off her daughter at the bus stop, Julie goes to Lloyds construction site to tell him she's going to Bradford, Illinois to see her childhood therapist Dr. Petrie.
During recess, we see Julie's daughter Angie skipping rope with her friends, when Parmenter appears and calls her over, he tells her he knew a little girl like her who was sweet on the outside and evil on the inside.
Wanting to remember the night of the killings and whose shadow she saw on the wall, Julie returns to her old home to which Max is also there and tells her she should've never come back.
A positive contemporary review in Variety praised the script, direction and acting and concluded "It may be far-fetched formula drama, but it’s also a successful attention-getter".
This is standard fare, featuring a familiar star running a gamut of fearful expressions while the director exhibits enough flair to distract viewers from realizing this warm beer has lost its foam.