-Written by Kyle Bain.
A young woman, Emma (Corrinne Mica) is set to inherit an estate–but the stipulations are bizarre. When Emma and her husband, Gabriel (Guillermo Blanco), do their best to follow the rules, they will soon find that their lives are in danger, and that their futures are uncertain. Voice of Shadows is a haunted house film that plays with the ideas of supernatural and religious horror. The most important question, however, is Voice of Shadows actually scary?
Someone recently told me that horror films don’t have to be scary in order to be successful. I don’t necessarily agree with that. There needs to be elements of the film that are truly scary in order for a film categorized as “horror” to be successful in my eyes. Does the entire thing need to be filled with jump scares? Do I have to want to cover my eyes because the visuals are so terrifying? No. Psychological horror works just as well. To worry viewers about the future, to concern them with what the world has in store for them is enough to make a horror film successful. So, once again, I have to ask: Is Voice of Shadows scary? Unfortunately, no.
The use of supernatural beings isn’t something that bothers me, it isn’t something that concerns me in the slightest. Beyond that, though, Voice of Shadows struggles to construct a narrative that effectively plays with reality in a fashion that might worry viewers. Far fetched isn’t the right word, but it does feel that some elements of the film are too challenging to accept as reality, too challenging to accept as anything but implausible. With that being said, I was drawn further from the film as the use of occult elements became more prominent. Voice of Shadows doesn’t employ practicalities by any stretch of the imagination, and that made it incredibly difficult for me to see it as successful.
What does work wonderfully for the film is the acting, particularly that of Blanco. Blanco wears his heart on his sleeve throughout the course of Voice of Shadows, and he never relents in his expertise or ability to convey genuine emotion throughout. His passion, and his ability to express himself effectively in the most trying moments of the film help raise the film up, add depth to the narrative, and strengthen the other actors and characters along the way. I honestly feel that his prowess was enough to save the film to a degree. Does he add elements of horror to Voice of Shadows? Not really, but he does enough to allow his character to resonate with viewers.
When I saw the name of the writer and director of this film, I knew that I had to watch. If for no other reason, sharing a surname with Writer-Director Nicholas Bain sparked my interest and gave me a reason to watch. In general I feel that Voice of Shadows does relatively well to entertain, but as a horror film I struggle to see the allure. Never was I scared, not even on edge–and I find those elements to be essential to a horror film. Blanco as the lead, however, does a spectacular job of bringing this film to life, delivering a nearly perfect performance from start to finish, and truly giving me a reason to remain interested throughout.
Written & Directed by Nicholas Bain.
Starring Guillermo Blanco, Corrinne Mica, María José Vargas Agudelo, Jane Hammill, Michael Paul Levin, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
Комментарии