Release Date: 19 Jan 2014
Run Time: 104 minutes
Origin: USA / Germany
Mimi's Rating: 3 1/2 Tupperware containers out of 5
A factory worker who is suffering from mental illness must decide between following the advice of his cat, who tells him to become a murderer, or his dog, who tells him to keep trying to live a regular life.
Wow. Ryan Reynolds knocks it out of the park as Jerry Hickfang. Jerry appears to be a regular, if a bit awkward, factory worker. But he's been lying to his court-appointed therapist. Jerry isn't taking his medicine, and his pets are giving him strange advice. His cat, Mr. Whiskers, thinks Jerry should give in to his more violent desires. But good-natured dog, Bosco, urges Jerry to control himself.
When Jerry asks his coworker, Fiona, on a date, she stands him up only to be picked up by Jerry when her car breaks down. What follows is a series of mishaps that ultimately end with Fiona dead with her severed head in Jerry's fridge. Now Fiona is asking Jerry to get her a friend. Will Jerry listen to the advice of Mr. Whiskers and double down on his murderous behaviour? Find out in: The Voices!
Can a movie be endearing and disturbing at the same time? Well, I think The Voices proves that it's possible. Ryan Reynolds shows off his acting range with his performance as the troubled and lonely Jerry Hickfang. You can understand how he could charm these women (I mean, he's still Ryan Reynolds at the end of the day). I appreciated how the movie showed us the world through Jerry's POV, with breaks to show us the disturbing truth of the situation. Jerry's un-medicated mind is bright, with cheery colours and lighting. When we see reality, the colours are drab, and we get more typical horror movie lighting. There's a very well-done flashback showing us Jerry's traumatizing childhood with some interesting direction. The comedy can be shocking at times due to the bleak nature of the plot, and some scenes were downright hard to watch. There's a scene with Anna Kendrick that was particularly hard to stomach thanks to her fantastic performance as the naive Lisa.
The Voices is a unique character study of a disturbed man. While the movie can be darkly comedic, it treats its moments of horror with the proper sobriety. With some great performances, it's worth your attention.
Why you should watch:
You want to see Ryan Reynolds take on a different type of role.
You like your dark comedies extra dark.
Why you shouldn't watch:
You don't like movies with violence against women.
You don't like dark comedies.