Ben Oliver

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The Voices

Mr. Whiskers, Dr. Warren, Fiona, CUT IT OUT!
06 February 2016

A man (Ryan Reynolds), who hears voices in the guise of animals speaking to him, accidentally kills his date (Gemma Arterton). He then starts hearing her body speaking to him.

This gets billed as a dark comedy but The Voices twists and turns so much it’s not an easy film to pin down. It is funny, but that really isn’t what you take away from it. The words ‘quirky’ and ‘offbeat’ probably get bandied about, but actually it’s quite sad, and oddly earnest.

The film’s success is thanks largely to Ryan Reynolds’ performance, I’ve not seen Deadpool yet but it’s probably his best work to date (and a breath of fresh air after R.I.P.D.). He’s endears himself to the audience despite being somewhat dead behind the eyes.

The Voices is a bit of let-down if you’re after a side-splitting black comedy, but it’s a surprisingly effective and original take on serious mental illness. Its light-hearted tone stops things from getting too heavy, and an outstanding central performance makes it something you won’t forget in a hurry.