Voice of Shadows
Written and Directed by Nicholas Bain
Starring Guillermo Blanco, Corrinne Mica, and María José Vargas Agudelo
Runtime: 90 minutes
On digital September 17

by Joe Carlough, Staff Writer

What lengths would you go to in order to inherit a spooky, grand old manor house that’s in your family? Would you, say, agree to live in it, even if you had to answer the phone every time it rings and some creep is on the other end? Even if there are creepy noises drawing you to the basement, and your partner and friends are becoming increasingly creeped out and unhinged while refusing to listen to reason? At what point do you say, hey guys, maybe this house isn’t worth it? That’s the gist of Voice of Shadows, a competent horror movie that has all the right pieces, even if I wouldn’t go so far as to call it scary. 

In VoS, we follow Gabriel (played by Guillermo Blanco, who I really thought stole the show) as he attempts to extricate his partner Emma (Corrinne Mica) and sister Celeste (María José Vargas Agudelo) from the horribly haunted mansion they’re now living in that once belonged to Emma’s aunt Milda (Jane Hammill). The supernatural activity increases the longer they stay, as do the creepy late night phone calls and constant visits from Ernesto (Martin Harris), Aunt Milda’s close friend who no one has ever heard of and who oozes a creepy vibe that everyone tries to shake off, but he just won’t leave. As the executor of Milda’s estate after she passes, Ernesto is calling the shots, and in her will she declares that in order for Emma to inherit the house, she must live there and answer the phone whenever it rings. It seems like a small price to pay for Emma, her boyfriend and his sister to inherit such a gorgeous estate, but apparently they haven’t seen the myriad movies in which the stipulation for inheriting a house is simply to stay there. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t usually end well. 

And how does it end for Gabrial and co? That’s for you to find out. Voice of Shadows was fun to watch and well made, but there’s just not a lot of meat on these bones. It’s not a particularly original story, and, while it’s well  made for a low budget affair, I would call it fun, or scary, or thought provoking. The acting was up to snuff. I was particularly impressed with Guillermo Blanco, but everyone did a good job. The storyline was crafted with intent and the script was solid, but the movie was missing that little extra something that makes horror pop, that makes a movie…well, scary! Voice of Shadows is a sweet little piece of popcorn: I’m enjoying it while I have it, but once it’s gone, I’m probably not going to think about it again.