What would Pillow Talk be without late-night whispers on the phone? What would Phone Booth be without a phone booth? How would Neo even enter the Matrix without a phone connection? And how would he get out? How mysterious would the Mystery Man in Lost Highway be without a cell phone? And what would Dial M for Murder be without the call to murder? Often, we hardly notice the phone on screen, even though it is frequently the secret main character in many films. Especially in the age of ubiquitous, everyday mobile phone use, it is a highly present element of narrative dynamics in cinema. But what makes the phone so special for film throughout history? Esther Lulaj reconstructs the significance and functions of phone calls in ten selected feature films from the silent film era to the present. She demonstrates that the phone, as a communication tool and technical medium of perception, plays a central role.