Horror Movie Blog > Horror Movie Reviews > Dead Whisper Review
One of the key elements of a great horror film for me is its ability to create an immersive atmosphere, and if a film succeeds in establishing this, I am often willing to overlook flaws.
This is somewhat true for Dead Whisper, the feature debut from director and writer Conor Soucy that featured on my horror films to watch in July list, and that I have only just got to watch.
Although it does create an ambitious and layered experience, it is a movie that seeks an active emotional engagement, which is not easy at times as the movie does have its flaws.
It is currently rated 3.8 on IMDB yet on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 72% audience score.
Talk about divided audiences.
My Thoughts
The story follows Elliot Campbell, a lawyer living in a coastal town on Cape Cod, who is struggling with the recent death of his child.
This tragedy has strained his marriage and led him into alcoholism and he's struggling to get his shit together, and one evening, a mysterious innkeeper directs him to an island where he is supposed to reconnect with his deceased daughter.
The theme of grief and recovery has become quite common in horror films, especially in recent years in the likes of Babadook and Hereditary, and Dead Whisper does fall into some predictable patterns.
Samuel Dunning's is the heart of the film as he masterfully embodies the essence of a grieving father pushed to the edge of sanity by his overwhelming loss as he skillfully balancing moments of raw vulnerability with intense determination.
I can see what Soucy was going for, it's all about that emotional engagement, and the film wants you to feel the pain, the loss, the regret, and maybe, just maybe, you'll connect with Elliot’s desperate quest for closure.
Nevertheless, it seems Soucy may have focused too much on style over substance and the film’s heavy reliance on atmosphere and experience leaves it lacking in other areas and the overall execution of the movie leaves a lot to be desired.
The movie, unfortunately, gets too wrapped up in its own atmosphere, as Soucy is clearly in love with the idea of setting a mood, but at times, it feels like he forgot there’s supposed to be a story happening.
It’s got this slow pace, the kind that makes you check your watch every 15 minutes and add in some excessive pretentiousness, and formulaic approach to timeless themes, it all results in a film that while pleasant, it doesn't come without some major flaws.
It’s got this slow pace, the kind that makes you check your watch every 15 minutes and add in some excessive pretentiousness, and formulaic approach to timeless themes, it all results in a film that while pleasant, it doesn't come without some major flaws.
A major issue I found was just how random a lot was, as it seems to pick up and drop off randomly, and leaves a lot of unanswered questions, and not in an interesting way, but in a frustrating way.
But, despite the flaws and the atmosphere being brilliant throughout the film, I still was not overly impressed, and I get why audiences are divided with this one.
The film is divisive, as said above, it’s sitting at a 3.8 on IMDB and on Rotten Tomatoes it’s sitting pretty with a 72% audience score.
So, what the hell happened there?
Well, people either love the atmosphere and the emotional punch, or they just can’t stand the meandering plot and the random weirdness.
I get both sides, but for me, it did not quite deliver.
But I would still say to give it a watch, as its worth a try, it's divided audiences for a reason and I think that is because you have to overlook a lot to enjoy what is good about Dead Whisper.
I would rate this film 51% on my horror movie nerd-o-meter.
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