Director: Corin Hardy
Writer: Owen Egerton
Stars: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Sky Yang
Synopsis: A group of high schoolers stumble across an ancient Aztec death whistle. Once blown, the whistle summons their future deaths to hunt them down one by one. They must uncover the history of this cursed object and somehow halt what they’ve set in motion before it’s too late.
Whistle almost instantly reminded me of a different era of horror. Here’s the thing though: it was the late ‘90s to early 2000s, which I’ve found to be one a hit or miss period for the genre. What director Corin Hardy and writer Owen Egerton have crafted can be likened to Final Destination (2000) in more ways than one. There’s cheesy dialogue, plenty of tropes, and gnarly kills. It does just enough to separate itself from that iconic franchise which includes having a more diverse group of leads, but the similarities are undoubtedly there.
Even if no one is going to mistake this for an Academy Award winning affair, you can make a horror film that’s unnerving and fun by putting the right pieces together. Whistle builds around Dafne Keen and Sophie Nélisse, who deliver outstanding turns. Keen plays Chrysanthemum “Chrys” Willet, our tortured protagonist who has been sent to live with her cousin, Rel (Sky Yang). Aspiring doctor Ellie Gains (Nélisse) is the one person in this new school who seems willing to accept Chrys for who she is.
Given the story is centered around these two, it should come as no surprise that they’re the most developed characters who ultimately help turn this experience into something satisfying. Dafne Keen and Sophie Nélisse have excellent chemistry which helps make Chrys and Ellie’s relationship not only believable but worth pulling for. These characters and their actresses bring out the best in each other. Even though there are cheesy exchanges between them, there’s something relatable about Chrys and Ellie if you’ve ever had a high school crush. Keen and Nélisse carry Whistle on their backs with these performances that capture your attention because of how natural they feel compared to the heightened nature of everything else.
Our other leads might as well be named after their archetypes. Rel is the nerd pining after the popular girl Grace Browning (Ali Skovbye) who has a jock boyfriend named Dean (Jhaleil Swaby). Whistle stumbles when it comes to giving these three depth and they’re so one-note that it becomes hilarious. Egerton leans on tropes rather than fleshing them out which leaves the audience indifferent to their survival even if these actors aren’t terrible.
The most notable of our many one-note characters is schoolteacher Mr. Craven (Nick Frost) and it’s not because his name appears to be a homage to the late, great director Wes Craven. Frost, much like Keen and Nélisse, gets good enough material and runs with it. He’s funny and an absolute jerk, which is in line with what we’ve seen from authority figures sprinkled into horror films. Frost does his job and nothing more in a solid supporting turn.
Fans of over-the-top goofy horror won’t be phased in the slightest and should have a blast. Especially when you consider the elements this film brings to the table. There’s an enthralling mystery behind this death whistle and Keen and Nélisse are giving their all. Most importantly, you’ll constantly be on edge, never knowing when the next kill will come. Those who prefer much more elevated material might not enjoy what’s being offered here because there’s little depth and it’s very silly. Considering a character is named Chrysanthemum, it should be clear that this won’t be on the level of a Jordan Peele film when it comes to writing.
However, some of these kills might stick in your mind like what we’ve seen from Peele for better or worse. They’re insane and as previously mentioned bring palpable tension to the film throughout. You’ll walk away impressed with how Corin Hardy stages them and how he and his crew use several elements to strike fear into you. One of the cooler things here is when we can see the chill bumps on a character’s back which is simple, but effective. It’s very easy to appreciate when the people involved seem like they genuinely want to scare you and put forth the effort to do that in ways that go beyond blood.
You’ll grip your seat over and over during Whistle whether that’s because of the actual kills or due to your anticipation of them as well as potential jump scares. This might sound crazy, but I appreciated how each death was more vicious than the last. It seemed like the sounds got more guttural and blood soaked as things moved along. There’s a death that has so much blood that while I didn’t throw up, I did feel like I needed a shower after. That sort of thing is rare and Hardy and company deserve kudos for making it happen.
Even though I’ve been giving these kills praise, they aren’t perfect. Some of the special effects will make you laugh with their ragdoll physics. When things go according to plan, you’ll see some really creative stuff but just know that isn’t always the case. When you mix performers like Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, and Nick Frost with inventive kills and a tantalizing mystery, this throwback to 00’s horror works. Weaknesses like an overreliance on tropes are still there, mind you, but will be easier to look past. It’s not going to alter the horror genre as we know it, but Whistle will send chills down your spine and turn out to be an amusing time.
