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For all the things Devil’s Whisper got wrong, I appreciate that it is not a regular movie like-The creepy old gewgaw has a demon attached to it. It is very much a movie about religion, at least in some sense. This single fact sets it apart from all the other horror films out there. And for the other, that religious aspect is shown as a teen boy – Alejandro “Alex” Duran (Luca Oriel) – who loves a father who offers confirmation, and Cutler (Father Rick Ravanello) who shines out some remarkably good life advice. Everything culminates in the fact that he has chosen to spend his teenage years preparing to be a priest. That means no getting laid, no drinking or taking drugs – just hiding inside liking the overrated Mad Max: Fury Road and wishing he had never seen it.
The movie is not exactly a typical horror genre, and neither is it focused on a teenage who seems obsessed with dark religious ideologies. This kind of horror definitely appeals to a fundamentalist audience, but what sets Devil’s Whisper apart is the fact that it manages to capture reality in the form of pure blasphemy. This is something that is quite new, rather genius in approach. I have personally never came across a child believing that the troubling supernatural infestations in his house poses a mortal danger to his immensely deluded soul and his mission of faith. It’s downright disturbing! This, at least, explains why Robins and Paul set them up with such fresh angles on horror that even Adam Ripp could not pass up on.
Now, as much as I would love to praise the film in question, the execution is far from stellar. Yet again, I would like to put the disclaimer that Devil’s Whisper is not that bad. It’s surprisingly better than most low-budget horror films and exorcism wannabes. I have to say this film did leave me feeling surprised. Now, this is baffling because this film and its name does make it out as one of the multitude of Exorcist copies. I will give credit where it’s due, some money was used on the visual effects. The big shadowy lanky demon figure bearing resemblance to Slenderman, does look better than I expected.
In addition, the film is… The actors were also not harmed by the writing, which was pretty mediocre, as redressed suburban homes often are. The big problem, as it frequently is, is in the acting: the cast is not bad, but they are neither good. Oriel manages decently, though the modulations in the character ask a bit more than he is able to provide: Alex is a complicated figure who is earnest and passionate in his religion, but still a teen boy who wants to do all the things teen boys do. Whatever he said on the surface, particularly to his attractive neighbor Lia released all Sodom’s naughtiest desires. It’s a role that asks for some nuance, and unfortunately, Oriel’s not quite there. People start to being haunted in earnest, then he is rather better when the make-up department helpfully provides gaiety with heavy circles around his eyes and wearing a general gaunt face.
Aside from him, no one else in the supporting cast is remarkable. For example, Tessie Santiago, who plays Alex’s mother Lucia, has some of the most stilted, unconvincing line readings, and she is also dealt the worst lines. She flatly tells the family’s Dark History in a manner that is meant to sound mysterious but mostly ends up being a string of half-formed cliches. And while this in itself is bad enough, at some point, one of those Dark Secrets that is revealed is far too grave for it to fully be okay that it feels like a box has been ticked on this We Have Always Been Haunted By This Demon checklist.
However, the family group at the center of the film, which includes Alex and Lucia’s family, her husband Marcos (Marcos A. Ferraez), whom I believe is supposed to be a cool stepdad, and her younger sister Alicia (Alison Fernandez), never quite holds together. Especially surrounding Alicia and her adorable squawking, there is too much cutesiness in the writing (which, naturally enough, sets up the moment when she goes all demon-like as proudly displayed on the posters). And, of course, the actors feel like actors, and not like people who have some level of ease with each other. Alex’s friends are a bit better, but still rough round the edges. After all, they are just a bunch of idle, horny boys loafing around, which, unsurprisingly, does not represent much of an acting challenge, but they are, at least, the less blank of the group.
The crafting of the film begins with a haunting narrative that seems relatively normal: the moment Alex and Marcos open the box that belonged to Lucia’s deceased mother, they find a beautifully crafted yet ominous crucifix. Immediately after this event, Alex begins to see terrible creatures hiding in the corners waiting to pounce. As time progresses, these frightening shadows become bolder in revealing themselves. The execution is satisfactory and Ripp manages at least somewhat to create a pace and atmosphere to his liking, which is a step better than managing the family. And yes, the demon on the poster is most certainly visually appealing. Even so, this is textbook horror filmmaking. It isn’t painful to sit through, but it is hardly engaging. Alex, alongside his guesses, is a wonderously intriguing character we never actually see and so to see him plugged into such a paint by numbers plot, and with little conviction in Oriel’s performance or the way he is shot… it is simply disappointing is all. So it is that the one thing which should most clearly stand out as a strength of the film is strikingly it’s most obvious weakness.
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