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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
Voices Carry is the debut feature film of writer-producer-director combo Abby Brenker and Ellyn Vander Wyden. This thriller title follows Sam (Gia Crovatin) and her husband, Jack (producer Jeff Ayars), as they return to Sam’s childhood home following the closure of her restaurant. At first, things seem normal and like a good improvement, but as the seasons go on, ghosts from the past seem to take their toll on Sam. Jeremy Holm and Geraldine Singer also star.
Voices Carry has a strong, if familiar, premise and clearly some talent behind the camera. However, the film is never able to build momentum and capitalize on all its elements. Instead, it’s more concerned with building mood than actually developing its characters and delivering thrills.
Carefully Crafted Mood
If there’s one thing Voices Carry succeeds at, then it’s the mood. From the distant way that producer and cinematographer Mauricio Vasquez shoots it to music composer Simon Taufique’s low-key score, it all builds to create a mood of sadness and loneliness. The way that Sam is often alone in frame and shot from quite a distance accentuates the illustration of her growing loneliness. She’s isolated both physically and mentally. Although, it could be better reflected in the actual character work and not just from a setting perspective. Furthermore, the look of the film is a bit too clean, which can undermine the dark feel it’s going for.
Overall, the location setting of a fairly remote cabin on the edge of a lake in the northeastern United States is a good albeit somewhat worn-out one. It immediately sets the tone for the film but also gives away the game pretty quickly. That is not necessarily the worst thing, but when so many films take place in the isolated northeast, it can feel a bit uninspired. Unfortunately, the lake itself feels rather under-utilized; on the other hand, when it is used, it’s fairly effective.
Interesting Ideas, Middling Execution
Voices Carry contains a lot of ideas about how society treats women who are mentally ill and how isolation is truly a killer. Yet, the execution leaves the audience wanting more. The turns in Sam’s mental health feel rather sudden and not built up as much as they should be. Her interactions with Jack feel far too hostile far too quickly. This is not to say that it’s not grounded in reality, as situations like this do happen all the time, but the film is more interested in trying to establish a mood than commit to actual character work. Sam and Jack kind of repeat the same cycle over and over throughout, and it quickly becomes tiring to watch.
Another lacking element is the implementation of the potentially supernatural events happening to Sam. The voices from the lake and her obsession with that lake are a pretty clear stand-in for mental health issues. Still, the voices come across as too quiet and happen far too little to make a real impact on the viewer. Not to draw a direct comparison, as the goals of the films are different, but Voices Carry comes across as an attempt to do what Hereditary did but with an obfuscated vision.
The supernatural elements do build as Voices Carry progresses, but it still never feels fully realized. It seems to not want to cross the line from thriller into horror. Fully embracing the horror genre would allow the film to communicate its ideas more effectively. Instead, the film’s scarier elements feel more like minor annoyances than something truly life-ruining. Ultimately, this keeps the ending from feeling like a tragic inevitability and more like a predictable letdown.
Additional Thoughts on Voices Carry
Both filmmakers Brenker and Vander Wyden show quite a bit of promise. Pretty quickly, they have managed to hone in on a tone and good ideas that can be underrepresented in cinema. Hopefully, they get the chance to make more films and continue to refine their craft.
In terms of the performances, there is nothing to write home about. Crovatin and Ayars are both good and manage to make what can be somewhat stilted dialogue across well. Holm as Sam’s neighbor is a little off-putting and tonally kind of feels out of place. At times, his line delivery can be poor, which does weigh the film down. Finally, at times it does feel as if not much happens in the movie. The narrative is never boring, but it struggles to keep your attention.
The Verdict on Voices Carry
In the end, despite the wealth to be mined from its ideas of female isolation and mental health, Voices Carry just lacks the execution to make a truly effective thriller.
Score: 2.5/5
Voices Carry has premiered at Cinequest 2025 in San Jose and will be available to watch at a later date!
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Sometimes I write things, but mostly I watch movies.
