Synoptic Treatment

The Voices

The whole film is based on a psychological thriller, which will most defiantly leave you with the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. Similar to The Secret Window (2004; Directed by David Koepp), I recommend watching The Voices, as both plots are a mystery and keeps your mind ticking throughout.

The structure of this film has such an intriguing atmosphere that The Voices can change your perspective on many things, such as the way you think. It creates an aura of madness, not confusion, throughout the film as the tension builds up with underlying tones of music and voices, along with atmospheric lighting. Another film in which the structure is psychological, is American Psycho (2000; Directed by Mary Harron), as the plot unravels as it gets deeper into the movie.

Zooming straight into the first scene, a young girl, Sky, approximately 16 years of age, is walking through a dark, dingy and dismal park, when she comes across this dim figure. After approaching this ‘dim’ figure, she immediately runs off.

After that excitement, the camera ends up somewhere we all know is not at all cheerful. Using a 360-degree turn around this particular room, we see Sky in the corner, looking pastier then ever. Flashing back, we then notice how she ends up in the place that she is, but when the present time pops up occasionally, we discover that she has only one visitor.

Years pass by and Sky leaves this place, but decides to take her revenge.

Who is this ‘dim’ figure? Where does she end up? Who is this visitor? And why does she wish to take revenge? All these questions can be answered by watching the movie.

There is no particular scene in this movie that is unique, as with out all of it, it would not be understood the way it should be, therefore every single part is as important and unique as the story unfolds scene by scene.

The genre, psychological thriller, has been used very carefully to create the apprehension and anxiety for the audience to be hooked, just like the film The Ring (2002; Directed by Gore Verbinski). After personally watching other psychological thrillers, I wouldn’t put this genre on the top of my list, but due to watching The Voices it has changed my perspective on this type of genre, as I find that it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats until the final moment; whereas in some other genres the audience can tend to get bored after the first forty-five minutes.

Finding many other psychological thrillers dull, such as The Grudge (2004; Directed by Takashi Shimizu), I can certainly say that The Voices does not come into that category, as to previous reasons mentioned. The acting and scenery has captured the eyes of many other film directors, so hopefully we will be seeing something just as fantastic in the future due to the heat of the competition. The Voices has all the right formula for the inquisitive mind, which enjoys solving riddles. Therefore I would give this a top five star rating.