The Whispering Man [2019]
Lake Horror Review
by Scott Lake
“After inheriting an ominous painting, a family soon becomes disturbed by a demonic presence known as The Whispering Man.”
After a short break, I have returned to continue providing you reviews for films that deserve to be seen. Indeed, I come bearing a gift: a review for The Whispering Man, previously known as The Surreal Project, a 2019 found-footage horror feature directed by Hungarian born, József Gallai and written by Bálint Szántó. The film has a fantastic cast, with a setup similar to many found-footage films, however, the execution here is very well done. I actually plan to sit back and give it another watch soon, just to see if I missed anything the first go round.
The story centers on two brothers, Mark (Dávid Fecske) and Tommy (András Korcsmáros), who are going through the belongings of a recently deceased family member. Mark is on the lookout for a painting known only as The Whispering Man. A black background painting with a ghostly face adorning it (looks like something I would hang in my own home, honestly). They find it and get it back home, then not long after, strange things start to happen. We get the standard fare of lights turning off, radios and such coming on all on their own, but that is not all. The longer the painting hangs in Mark‘s room, the more affected by it he becomes, devolving into terrible night terrors that take a heavy toll on him. This film does a great job of building tension. A couple of times, almost to a point I wanted to scream out “Do something to break this!” The use of pitch blackness, and night vision just lends to it all. An oppressive atmosphere of darkness and that feeling of not knowing when or if something will suddenly appear on screen is enough to give you chills.
Aside from the brothers, there is a small cast of supporting characters who help this round out and feel like an actual found-footage situation. Mark‘s friend Abel (Dávid Kiss), his girlfriend, Dora (Ágota Dunai) and their friend, Anna (Marcsi Nagy). While there wasn’t a major need for lighting in this film, due to the way it was shot, the times it was needed, were done well by Sándor Gál. Director József Gallai also helmed as cinematographer on this film. His camera work didn’t help me feel at ease with the viewing experience. That is definitely a good thing.
What this film does with its limited cast and crew is absolutely fantastic. This is indie filmmaking at its purest. While it isn’t anything innovative in the found footage genre, it certainly is a welcome and pleasant addition. I really enjoyed the story told, and the use of the found-footage style to tell the story. I’ll certainly be looking forward to more films from József Gallai in the future. I just wish I knew who painted The Whispering Man painting so I could get my hands on it.
My rating: 7.5/10.
