Customer Reviews

A Whisper in the Dark

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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Italian gothics, though slow, are usually rewarding. Not so in this case. While Whisper... has the right look, cast, and even a Pino Dinaggio score, it just doesn't add up. I wasn't scared! Sure, there were a few scenes with some decent tension, but never any real shocks. I'd recommend watching Mario Bava's "Shock" or Massimo Dallamano's "The Night Child" to see whether this is a film for you.

It's a pity this movie is practically unknown, 'cause it would be a serious contender to reach the top of one of those "worst movie" lists... Intended to be a supernatural thriller, in the end it's only a collection of horror stereotypes, bad actors performing at their worst, embarrassing kitsch moments (yes, those great kitsch moments that can transform a b-movie into a trash cult!), the most disagreeable couple of twin girls in movie history and a screenplay that, lacking any trace of logic and plausibility, manages instead to deliver some tragically funny (alas, unintentionally) dialogues

The only real frights come courtesy of the scary costumes (pure 1970's-style) the actors wear throughout the movie: a collection of the worst of the worst of fashion...

This movie fails to deliver on every level. If you're looking for creepiness or horror, you won't find it here; if you're looking for an interesting psychological drama, not here; interesting character study or family drama, no.

Even the score, which is sort of Euro-contemporary (that is, 70s contemp) misses every opportunity to help build tension, or to effectively convey appropriate mood. On the contrary, it saps the film of any such effects. No spoiler, just an example: a swing is (maybe) moving by the hand of an invisible ghost, but the accompanying score is comprised of a light flute / acoustic guitar combo of the kind you might expect to hear playing as ambient music at a really boring cocktail party.

The acting is bad all around as well; the women are especially overwrought and stereotypically hysterical. Part of the latter is just a product of 70s European film conventions, but it's just bad no matter what the explanation. The ending itself - again, no spoilers, don't worry - does not break precedent with the film's prior ineffectiveness. We get a climactic sequence which seems to resolve the conflict in one way, but this is followed by a sort of postscript which utterly contradicts the supposed initial resolution. In the hands of a more capable scriptwriter and a more competent director, this ending might have been made interesting, but I'm not willing to give it credit for being clever. It's just a mess.

I've certainly seen worse movies, but that's not much of a recommendation.