Macabre…ish Review: Voice of Shadows
The movie opens with a man, Gabriel (Guillermo Blanco), in confessional, confessing to murdering a man, after that man raped and beat his mother to death, when he was just 12 years old. He’s having a crisis of faith, even though he promised his mother to stay strong in his faith. After pouring out his heart, Gabriel realizes he’s alone.
Gabriel’s girlfriend, Emma (Corrinne Mica) has an unusual aunt named Milda (Jane Hammill) who suddenly dies and this is not her first time. Once a nun, Milda survived a fire that claimed some of the orphans at the orphanage. Wondering what kind of a God could let this happen, Milda returned to her life, no longer able to serve God, she created her own beliefs.
During the eulogy, Ernesto (Martin Harris), Milda’s friend and the executor of her estate, informs Emma that she has inherited her entire estate. Milda expects Emma to continuing answering her friends’ phone calls, another stipulation is that Gabriel is not allowed to stay or live in the house. Which infuriates Gabriel, who will not let Emma or his sister, Celeste, stay there alone. That night they break the only rule that is explicitly in the will.
Celeste has an unusual fascination with Milda’s room and wants to sleep there. Gabriel is terrified of the basement, really the whole place is kind of freaking him out. Including the very strange phone calls that come to the house. Ernesto returns to finish signing the papers, it’s only been 24 hours and everyone is already acting strange.
Gabriel is startled out of his sleep for a second time and Emma is gone. He finds her sleep walking out of the basement.
The longer they stay, the stranger it gets and Gabriel and Emma’s relationship is strained. She doesn’t want him there. Celeste, his sister, on the other hand, feels right at home, a little too, at home. It seems she’s become much closer to Milda in death, than in life. The one day, she’s alone in the house, Celeste disappears.
Returning to the house, after a strange visit to the church, Gabriel searches the house for his sister and ventures into the basement. But upon returning from the basement, Gabriel finds Ernesto in the foyer and he informs Gabriel that Celeste went back to her apartment. He also tells Gabriel that Emma will forfeit her claim to the estate for ignoring the rules.
But Ernest has other plans and unfortunately it ends with Gabriel digging a grave for the third time in his life.
When Emma returns she claims Ernesto took Celeste home. Then the phone rings, the phone whose cord was yanked out of the wall earlier, and it’s Ernesto.
Later, that night, Gabriel checks the grave and it is still occupied. The next day, in a scrapbook he finds strange clippings about people who came back to life and some of those faces, he recognizes.
Gabriel returns to the church to talk to a priest and tells him Milda’s house is corrupted. But the priest, Father John (Michael Paul Levin), is acting strange and knows things he shouldn’t, Gabriel is ordered out of the church. But before he goes he talks to Father James (Bee Vang) about a book that he found at Milda’s house. He finds out Emma’s name is in the book, along with others. Father James tells Gabriel to stay away from Milda’s house.
But Gabriel can’t go without Emma and his sister. He’ll return to Milda’s house one last time but this time, he might not leave.
Directed by Nick Bain, this movie is in English and Spanish and it is well done! The story is good and solid with good pacing. There are some moments that seemed to not make sense when they happened but as the movie went on, it does make sense. Expect some cg effects, blood, and violence. Plus there are plenty of jump scares in this with very nice, creepy music!
Watch it at night and it’ll hit harder. This is great for lovers of the occult, paranormal and those new and looking for an easy entre into horror.