Dead Whisper

We are currently living in a time where it seems like every movie and tv show that we see is based off of, or is a sequel to, or is even just a remake of something else. It happens so often now that it seems like Hollywood has completely run out of ideas, but every once in a while, we are graced with a film that is not only an original idea but also a true work of art. Last night, I had the pleasure of watching a special premier of the new horror film Dead Whisper now playing in select theaters and streaming on Prime video. The film serves as the directorial debut for Conor Soucy and stars Samuel Dunning as Elliot Campbell, a lawyer living in Cape Cod who experiences strange occurrences when he visits a mysterious island.

The acting in this film was very good, but what really stood out to me was the brilliant way that this film was shot. Cinematographer Ben Grant worked pure magic behind the camera and the result was nothing short of artistic brilliance. Each shot was so captivating that I felt as if I was dragged into the story and was the main character. The angles and use of lighting was so masterfully utilized that it reminded me of a Hitchcock film at times.

A fun fact about this film is that it had a very low budget. It is very impressive that a movie can be this good with such a small number of resources and it is a true testament to the talented individuals who made it. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I strongly recommend checking this one out as soon as you can. I know I will be watching it many times.

The scene is the seashore. Somehow a pay phone -- which we don't have any more anywhere -- is situated about 12 feet from the water and it's ringing. I horrible actress answers it and she knows who's calling.

This very first scene, which lasts maybe 2 minutes gives you an idea how utterly bad this movie is going to be.

The acting across the board is dismal. The exposition is incredibly slow. The jump scares are dumb and embarrassingly insulting.

This movie is perhaps the worst film I have seen in 20 years. The one, and only, good thing I can say about this train wreck of a movie is that the scenery is nice.

That's it.

I love finding gems like this, like so many great nights renting movies like The Wicker Man, and The Others on VHS. Beautiful visuals with vintage cinematic vibes, an engaging story that pulls you into each scene, and that minimalist kind of creepiness that is more unsettling than horrifying.

If 'North Atlantic' could be a horror / suspense subgenre, I'd place Dead Whisper squarely in that category. There's something about films made in New England, Ireland, and the UK that sew together dreary landscapes, misty maritime themes, and the fear of things we can't control into unique stories that are continually engaging. If that's your jam, this will not disappoint!

Some filmmakers seem to think that drawn-out, needlessly cryptic dialog will make their creation come off more cerebral. It doesn't. Had the writer/director relied more on the visuals of this film, they might have had something here. Unfortunately, whatever potential dread they were going for is weighed down to a slog by endless pseudo-intellectual sounding exposition. I'm guessing they thought it was making the story more interesting, when it reality it was doing just the opposite. I'm not really sure who Dead Whisper is intended for. It's going bore the hell out of mainstream audiences, and I imagine even cinephiles are going to have a hard time getting through this one.

Honestly, I consider myself very easily pleased when it comes to movies. But my lord what on earth is this film.

It's not in the slightest scary, the story line is all over the place. I honestly have no clue what even happened.

Made absolutely no sense. So many unanswered questions, the film appears to just pick up and drop off in random places. Maybe it's just me because I see many reviews saying how amazing it is and a new age horror thriller. Just no, not in the slightest bit accurate in my opinion.

I want my 90 minutes back because I've never spent them doing anything so boring in my life!