Prank calls, lonely drunks, and the like are the norm for irritated Danish police officer Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) after he is forcibly assigned to his department’s emergency call center following a disputed incident in the field. Yet when the muffled, terror-stricken whispers of a kidnapped woman trapped in a speeding car reach his desk, the obstinate Asger answers the call of duty with little regard for protocol. The hotheaded cop finds only cold shoulders when he attempts to enlist the aid of patrol cars outside his jurisdiction and must take matters into his own hands. As the events of the evening unfold in striking real time, every grave drone of the dial tone might signal a fatal end to the nightmare that Asger has found himself immersed in — and possibly made worse. Grounded by Cedergren’s gripping performance, co-writer/director Gustav Möller smartly crafts a pure, white-knuckle thrill ride unlike anything seen or heard this year.

In competition for the FIPRESCI Award.

Director Gustav Möller will be in attendance January 7 and 8.