Written and directed by Nicholas Bain, a young working class woman stands to inherit an estate if she and her boyfriend abide by a set of bizarre stipulations. Starring: Guillermo Blanco, Corrine Mica, María José Vargas Agudelo, Jane Hammill, Michael Paul Levin, Martin Harris and Bee Vang.
First impressions are always important, especially when it comes to horror, so if you kick things off with the right note then people know they’re in for a good time. Nicholas Bain starts the ball rolling with a nicely intense and emotional opening, the spooky vibes are emanating early and pretty much continue right through to the end of Voice of Shadows. Especially with another key element being location and this was the perfect house, classically styled and reminiscent of countless beloved horror films, as well as more recent releases like Malignant.
The story also strays into some classic territory, family secrets and mysteries. Voice of Shadows can be slow to reveal its secrets but there are plenty to be found if you’re patient. It’s gradual then ramps up the intensity in its final scenes for some sinister activity that you could link back to a whole host of iconic horror cinema. Yet, it never feels like it’s nodding at one piece in particular. Although that change of intensity can feel sudden, the progression flips a switch rather than building a stronger foundation. The atmosphere is there but it felt like the story needed to expand itself a bit more ahead of its big finale.
Part of why the atmosphere works so well are the superb close-up detail shots Bain adds to the mix. They’re a quintessential choice for this type of film, forcing your focus and adding suspense. Although some of the wider shots can feel a little too simple, not hitting as strong notes. Similar could be said of the performances, they’re solid but it feels like parts aren’t quite getting where they need to go. It would have been good to get to know these characters better, especially Guillermo Blanco’s Gabriel. It feels like there was the potential for more layers to unpack with him.
Voice of Shadows is solidly spooky and brings together a lot of classic horror elements for a highly suspicious and supernatural outing. Some things may work better than others and it would have been more satisfying to let the story play out a bit more before its crescendo, but the foundation is well done. It has a certain quality that portrays a clear respect for horror cinema which definitely helps boost the tense, creepy atmosphere. A bit of extra detail here and there and some sharpening of shots could have potentially strengthened things but regardless, it’s a strong debut feature from Nicholas Bain.
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