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Halle Berry hopes to thrill moviegoers with her new suspense feature, The Call. She compares it to past fright flicks like Silence of the Lambs, or the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Turns out she's a fan of films that get your heart racing.

"(The script) was such a page turner," she explains. "So many twists-and-turns. So many things happened that made me go: Oh, god, really? That happened? Oh noooo..."

Berry also loves that the film showcases a strong female lead. "There are so many movies that are made that don't have really empowered women roles... That are everyday women who do extraordinary things. Men get to do that quite a bit more often. This has got some meat on the bone for women."

Photo: Getty Images

The actress prepared for the role of a 9-1-1 operator by visiting a real-life Los Angeles call center. " I spent lots of time hangin' out there. Watching, taking notes, observing them taking real calls, sitting through training sessions..."

So did Berry jump on the phone and respond to a real-life emergency? "No. They wanted me to, but I said 'you know what? (When) somebody really calls in, they don't want to get Halle Berry on the phone.' They want somebody who can help them. Seriously help them. They don't want to know that some actress doing research for a movie is gonna' answer the phone. I mean, I'd be pissed if it were me! What the hell? Gimme the real lady! I got a problem here. You don't want to talk to some dumb actress."

The Call is in theaters this weekend. Rated R for violence, disturbing content and some strong language.