On paper, the new horror movie Whistle reads like a stack of tropes. Its heroine is the new girl in school with a troubled past. Its antagonist is a cursed object that targets its victims one by one, with a twist that knocks off Final Destination. The third act revolves around the teens turning detective, trying to figure out how to save themselves from their (gruesome) fates.
This is all familiar stuff, and not long after Whistle introduces its characters and settings, you’ll have no problem predicting who will survive all the carnage to come. But when it’s done well, even a retread can be enjoyable—and fortunately, that’s the case with Whistle.
A lot of that goodwill is thanks to its cast, led by Dafne Keen (Deadpool & Wolverine) as Chrys, short for Chrysanthemum, a flower that happens to have a close association with death. Keen’s expressive eyes, ‘90s Winona Ryder bangs, and “don’t fuck with me” energy make her an apt choice to play a guarded high-schooler who’s moved from Chicago to a steel-mill town after a family tragedy.
© Courtesy of Michael Gibson/an Independent Film Company and Shudder release
She’s got a built-in buddy in her cousin, Rel (Last Days’ Sky Yang), but her first day barely gets started before she’s targeted by a bullying jock (Jhaleil Swaby as Dean), and an altercation ensues that lands Chrys and her new acquaintances, plus Rel, in detention.
This friend/frenemy group also includes Ali Skovbye as Dean’s girlfriend Grace, who Rel has a crush on, and Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets) as Ellie, soon exchanging meaningful glances with Chrys. These characters aren’t breaking new ground, but the actors are appealing, and we don’t get much chance to get caught in teenage social drama before the title artifact comes into play.
After a harrowing opening sequence involving a fellow student who can’t outrun the supernatural demise he’s been anticipating, we know there’s something awfully dangerous attached to the creepy tchotchke Chrys finds in her newly assigned locker. It piques the attention of Mr. Craven (Shaun of the Dead‘s Nick Frost)—another character with a loaded moniker—a teacher who thinks the skull-shaped antique, an “Aztec death whistle” according to his cursory internet search, could be valuable enough to help upgrade his lifestyle.
We don’t need to hear the whistle to know it’s bad news. We also don’t need any suspense around whether or not someone will blow it—obviously, someone’s going to pucker up before long—but director Corin Hardy (The Nun) heaps it on anyway and keeps at it once the forces summoned by its ghastly shriek start accumulating a body count. There’s a bit of It Follows in the anticipation of what turns out to be a relentless, seemingly unstoppable menace.
© Courtesy of Michael Gibson/an Independent Film Company and Shudder release
An expert in the macabre, played by Game of Thrones’ Michelle Fairley, fills the de rigueur role of “outsider who pops up a couple of times with just enough exposition.” The script by Owen Egerton doesn’t dig deep enough to involve an actual Mesoamerican historian—it would be understandably tough for these small-town kids to find one on short notice—but Fairley’s character, at least, does mutter about “stolen treasure from plundered people.” Respect what you don’t understand, the movie cautions; otherwise, agonizing consequences may await you.
And Whistle is at its best when staging its numerous death scenes, bringing splattery creativity to a story that doesn’t always feel fresh. Even when it does try something new, it doesn’t always work; the budding romance between Chrys and Ellie is sweet, but a sinister youth preacher played by Wednesday’s Percy Hynes White doesn’t add much more than annoyance as a tacked-on extra antagonist.
© Courtesy of Michael Gibson/an Independent Film Company and Shudder release
Still, even after all that—it wouldn’t be fair to write Whistle off for feeling a bit too cookie-cutter at times. So many horror movies trace the outline of what’s come before and end up disappointing. Whistle, at least, is a lot of fun.
Whistle hits theaters February 6. Make sure to stick around for the mid-credits scene.
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