Review: Dark Whispers: Vol 1

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Dark Whispers: Vol 1
Directed by Angie Black; Jub Clerc; Lucy Gouldthorne; Katrina Irawati Graham; Janine Hewitt; Briony Kidd; Isabel Peppard; Marion Pilowski; Madeleine Purdy; Megan Riakos; Kaitlin Tinker
Deadhouse Films; Hemlock and Cedar Films; Gold Hawk; Stranger With My Face
100 minutes, 2021
https://www.darkwhispersanthology.com/
https://www.facebook.com/darkwhispersanthology/

Nice. This release not only comprises short films made by women, but also exclusively from Australia. Perhaps they should narrow it down further to Wednesday afternoon between 3 and 4 PM? I kid because I am impressed. There are 10 stories here, so let’s break ‘em down and see whuts whut.

The wraparound story, “The Book of Dark Whispers,” is directed by Megan Riakos, who curated the anthology. In it, a woman, Clara (Andrea Demetriades) finds her grandmothers book with the title of this piece that has been passed down to her mum, and now that mummy is no more, she is the owner. She then proceeds to read it, giving us an opening and framework for the stories we will be seeing. These tales have been gathered together for this anthology.

First up is Angie Black’s “Birthday Girl” (2008). In this short tale, a sad woman (Sarah Bollenberg) takes an elevator in a hospital, and is visited by a spirit. This story is not scary, but rather is sad as you can feel for her. It’s beautifully shot, with lots of close-ups of her face. It was very touching and beautiful.

Next up is “The Man who Caught a Mermaid” (2014) by Kaitlin Tinker. What happens when a delusional older man (Roy Barker) who collects classical LPs and is obsessed with fishing – specifically to catch a mermaid – actually nabs one? Why, he chains her (Bilby Conway) up in the garden shed, of course. She is both scary and, in a way, beautiful (thanks to Sharp FX), and our anti-hero is fixated on her, in a male gaze kind of way. Is he any better than someone who kidnaps women and puts then in a secure place, even if she is half fish? And what happens when his lonely wife (Verity Higgins) finds her? These are the questions answered in this fish tail – I mean tale. The make-up is stupendous, and the filmmaking is spot on. This one, with a really nice twist or two, kept me on the edge of my gills.

For a step in a different direction, Isabel Peppard gives us “Gloomy Valentine” (2006) a stop-motion animation tale. Without dialogue, we meet the sole character, a humanoid-like doll with a porcelain face and a rag, sewn body. It is after a hard break-up with another human-like character. Slowly, her pain starts to manifest around her, threatening to swallow her up. The artwork is beautiful, and the action is smooth, rather than jumpy, as can be with this kind of animation. The backgrounds are worth paying attention to, as well, as the detail is nicely handled and interesting to look at. I watched it twice, once for the character, and then again for the “sets.”

Similarly, in the wraparound, between each short piece, we see the stories slowly and increasingly start to influence Clara’s world in small and then more tangible ways. Like Talking Tina, this is a book that will not go away.

Briony Kidd’s “Watch Me” (2016) deals with ego. An aging actress (Astrid Wells Cooper) likes attention. Craves it. She says, “When people stop looking at me, I fail.” But failing seems to be the least of her problems. It seems she needs to have somebody looking at her at all times, such as her failing relationship with her boyfriend (Tosh Greenslade) or a compromised assistant (Jazz Yap). What happens when there are no eyes to admire her, to acknowledge her existence. That is the premise of this story. It’s short and works well. Cooper does a good job at both loving the limelight and fearing the alone.

From the Aboriginal side, there is Jub Clerc’s tale of “Storytime” (2005). A tween girl, Cecelia (Verna Lawson) is out hunting overnight with her grandparents, some other men, and a group of kids around her age. Over the campfire, they hear the tale of a local creature, the Gooynbooyn, who kidnaps kids. Being that this is a campfire tale within a film about stories is an interesting idea in itself. When Celia and a “dare you” boy named Jhi (Jhi Clarke) set out to find the creature, that’s when the terror level rises a few notches. Beautifully shot among the gnarly mangrove trees helps to put the viewer in a state of unease. Cryptid stories tend to be fun, as is this one.

The big guns come out for “The Ride” (2011), directed by Marion Pilowsky. Filmed in England, it co-stars the well-known Aussie screen actor, Anthony LaPaglia, known for the many American shows he’s been in, such as “Without a Trace” and “Murder One.” He plays a Brit driver who picks up a university student (Ed Speelers; no small pataters either, having been a regular on “Downton Abbey”) at a deserted crossroad in the middle of farm country. The driver quickly proves himself to be a right wing, sports crazy racist who asks uncomfortable questions, such as whether the student has slept with “black girls.” Total Trumpite type. The action really begins when he hits an Asian man walking on the side of the road. Report it to the police? While the student freaks out, the driver calmly explains that it’s easier just to bury the dude. Kind of a reverse The Hitcher (1986). After, when he hooks up with his girlfriend (Emer Kenny, known to me as Bunty from the “Father Brown” series) back in the city, is where the knot is tied in the story. You’ll probably see it coming about 30 seconds before, but still worth the wait.

Another story in a story is Katrina Irawati Graham’s “White Song” (2006), dealing with Indonesian infamous ghost, Kuntil Anak. In Indonesian with noticeably clear subtitles, this time it is the spirit that is telling the tale, of a young woman, Raesita. She is a painter who is distraught at the death of her husband. She wishes her misery to end and that is where the Kuntil Anak comes in, telling Raesita’s story as well as her own terrible life in a patriarchal violent past. She is the only voice heard as she narrates in poetic fashion, while the dreamy images float by the screen in lovely sequences that seem lighter than air, despite the heavy topic. The whole story is elegiac and trance-like.

Told in black and white is Lucy Gouldthorpe’s “Grillz” (2015). Short and sweet, this is the story of Milla (Melanie Irons), who I must say, I almost wish actually existed. She scours the Internet dating scene and picks the scuzziest of men. And then, well, you’ll have to see. When she chooses a dentist (Tosh Greenslade, once again), it is for other reasons. What is a girl to do when she doesn’t like a mess? This is a black comedic tale with a nod to the side of the nose as it explores not only the Internet dating world and its precariousness – for both sexes – it also shines a light on the kind of toxic masculinity that would have no problem emailing dick pics. Very effective and fun to watch.

I was going to call this a black comedy, but perhaps a better description of Madeleine Purdy’s “Little Share House of Horrors” (2016) might be a “green comedy.” A young woman, Maeve (Georgia Wilde) gets ahold of a plant from a dicey shop owner (Colan Leach) and brings it home to the house she shares with three others, two of whom are hopeless potheads (Travis Jeffrey and Thuso Lekwape). She believes in all things natural as far as food goes, as they are into the natural stuff you smoke. The two doods mock her and suffer the unintended consequences that’s a toss between what the story is named for, and, say, Trolls 2 (1990), but with more credibility and less camp. Original part of the “Girt By Fear” Web series, it’s a fun tale of eco-power. And you can’t get cancer from this like windmills (snicker).

The final story is by Janine Hewitt, titled “The Intruder” (2005), which is a fun ghost story, in the classic gothic style, though taking place in the late 1960s or early 1970s (clothing and a rotary dial are the indicators). Zoe (Asher Kendie) is in fear of a stalker in her home, when she is visited by her friend, Angela (Bree Desborough). With the electricity out and lightening flashing as the sole light, it is a spooky situation that is also from the heart, as Angela asks Zoe for forgiveness. The story is well told, shot, and acted, and the ending has a curious back story. I actually wished this one was longer.

A lot of these stories are centered around loss: of a child, a parent, of a loved one, and especially of oneself, in various forms. Usually in a multi-storied anthology, there are a couple of clinkers, but not here. Each one is both individualized (even with the recurring theme I mentioned), in tone and style, and covers a wide gambit of emotions. A really fine collection, and I can honestly say I am excitedly hoping for a Volume 2.