The cursed object is a well worn trope in horror movies, which means familiarity is an immediate obstacle for screenwriter Owen Egerton to overcome in his new supernatural slasher film, Whistle. Directed by The Nun’s Corin Hardy, the film finds a group of high school teens trying to survive Death as it stalks and kills […]
The cursed object is a well worn trope in horror movies, which means familiarity is an immediate obstacle for screenwriter Owen Egerton to overcome in his new supernatural slasher film, Whistle.
Directed by The Nun’s Corin Hardy, the film finds a group of high school teens trying to survive Death as it stalks and kills them. This is the result of blowing an Aztec Death Whistle that new transfer student Chrys (Dafne Keen) finds in her locker.
By the time Chrys discovers it, the whistle has already killed one Pellington High student. In the cold open, Mason, the school’s basketball star, goes up in flames in the school shower immediately after a big game. Six months later, Chrys inherits his locker, running afoul of Mason’s former teammate Dean (Jhaleil Swaby) as well as youth pastor/drug dealer Noah (Percy HynesWhite), all while being protected by her cousin Rel (Sky Yang) and making heart eyes at popular girl Ellie (Sophie Nélisse).
These early scenes hint at the archetypes and narrative structures that tend to define teen slasher films (ie, new girl with the tragic backstory; the clique-y high school social hierarchy; a burgeoning romance between unlikely partners, etc). But Whistle finds comfort in this familiarity, using the audience’s awareness of these kinds of characters and plots to quickly dispense the necessary exposition and get right to the good stuff.
In no time at all, the characters are packed into detention with Mr. Craven (Nick Frost), where they research the whistle’s origin. Soon after that, the next victim meets their end in the school’s hallway, and the other characters have blown the whistle, putting them all in mortal peril. The film isn’t even half over by the time the Harvest festival has rolled around to deliver one of the best chase sequences in recent horror memory.
One of the delights of Whistle, in addition to how expedient it is, is that the characters are legitimately enjoyable. The familial relationship between Chrys and Rel is warm and supportive, the object of Rel’s crush – popular girl Grace (Ali Skovbye) – isn’t a cliched “mean girl”, and there’s no real attempt to redeem the two human antagonists. The net result is that most of the film’s deaths are either cheer-worthy or actually sad because you don’t want that character to meet their grisly end.
The deaths are the film’s other calling card because – just one month into the new year – we already have at least two strong contenders for Best Death of 2026. It becomes evident by the second death of the film that, despite bearing a narrative similarity to Final Destination, Death in Whistle isn’t a rube goldberg-ian sequence of events. The stalking fiery vision that immolates Mason in the opener doesn’t bear a resemblance to the lumbering creature from the high school hallway murder, which keeps the supernatural stalk and kill sequences interesting.
For those unlucky enough to come face to face with the whistle’s avatar, the results are often spectacular. In the film’s greatest set piece, a character is subjected to a slow-motion car crash…in their bedroom…with no car. It’s a virtuoso sequence filled with moments of agonizing body horror, accomplished primarily with practical FX (and some light CGI touch-ups), and it absolutely rocks. Another death soon follows in the same vein that is also spectacular; both deaths call to mind one of Egerton and Hardy’s stated influences in making the film: A Nightmare on Elm Street.
In between the spectacular death scenes, there’s the usual investigation into the whistle and how best to stave off death. This leads the survivors to seek out Horse’s grandmother, Ivy (Michelle Fairley), who hilariously seems to exist solely to deliver exposition. In lesser films, these developments would be grating and tired, but part of Whistle‘s charm is how earnestly it wears its influences and silliness on its sleeve. Audiences have seen this narrative play out in other like-minded texts, but between the relatable characters, the great effects, and the speedy pace, Whistle somehow gets away with it.
Helping matters is the romantic chemistry between Nélisse and Keen (doing solid work despite being saddled with an atrocious wig), as well as a desaturated visual aesthetic courtesy of cinematographer Björn Charpentier. Whistle has a great throwback look that feels reminiscent of 90s and 00s texts, lending it a moody vibe with sporadic pops of vibrant colour (see: the Harvest Fest set piece, which is peppered with reds and oranges).
If there is one area that lets the film down, it is the climax, which is disappointingly predictable and requires characters to behave in questionable ways. It’s not a dealbreaker, but the film’s big ending is definitely not as solid as the rest of the film. Alas, this means Whistle leaves things on a slightly underwhelming note, despite a tantalizing tease for a possible sequel.
Overall, however, Whistle is really fun. Despite its formulaic premise, familiar characters, and narrative tropes, the film is a genuinely good time. Throw in some outstanding (and mean!) deaths, and horror fans have been gifted an unexpected delight.
