In Whistle, a cursed object offers a glimpse at death with dire consequences.
Chrys (Dafne Keen) arrives in her new, small-town home on the heels of the tragic death of the high school’s basketball star. They inadvertently assign her his former locker, in which she finds an ancient artifact. No one’s sure of its exact origins, but the darkly ominous name: Aztec death whistle. Accordingly, anyone who hears the whistle is on borrowed time. Now it’s up to the new girl to figure out how to stop the cycle and save her friends.
The film starts strong with a tight basketball game on the brink of collapse due to supernatural interference. The spectre’s appearance is shocking, immediately establishing an intense tone for the film. Fast forward to Chrys’ arrival and it’s like letting the air out of a taut balloon.
The actors fit the cookie cutter, conventional look for each of their personality types. Fortunately, most of them are convincing in their roles. However, filmmakers seem to have prioritized appearance over skill when it came to casting the lead. Even though she’s a Lydia Deetz-Wednesday Addams type, she lacks their ability to brood convincingly.
Nonetheless, this is a horror movie, so major points go to creativity. To that end, the creatures are imaginative each dispatches their target differently. Unfortunately, the longer the film goes on, the more it mirrors Final Destination.
It’s too bad the film’s ingenuity is overshadowed by a derivative story.
Director: Corin Hardy
Starring: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse and Percy Hynes White
