"Whispers in the Dark" follows a New York psychiatrist (Annabella Sciorra) who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery after one of her troubled patients, Eva (Deborah Unger) is killed mysteriously.
One of the many erotic thrillers spurred by the early '90s, "Whispers in the Dark" is a fairly deflated attempt at that subgenre which succeeds in some regards but probably fails in more. The screenplay has some decent raw ideas, though it does not really reach the boiling point that it should in the last act.
One of the biggest problems with the film is its uninspired performances. There are good, even great actors here, but most of them seem disconnected from the material, and the vast majority of the performances are limp and lifeless--even Annabella Sciorra, Alan Arkin, and Jill Clayburgh seem bored, and Jamey Sheridan is especially awful as the male lead. Anthony LaPaglia is somewhat memorable as the aggressive detective, but he is given very little to do. The two standouts here are Deborah Unger, who truly steals the show, and John Leguizamo, each appearing in early performances in their respective careers as Sciorra's disturbed patients. Their performances make the film worth seeing. Everyone else... not so much.
Uninspired acting aside, there is some fun to be had here for those who have a nostalgia for early-'90s thrillers. Despite its faults, I will admit the film is reasonably entertaining, but it must be taken entirely on its own terms. It is not extreme enough to have a campy appeal, nor do the stakes ever feel high enough for the audience to really take it all that seriously. All in all, this is a fairly lukewarm thriller. It is not terrible, but it is certainly undistinguished among its peers. Watch it for Unger and Leguizamo. 6/10.
One of the many erotic thrillers spurred by the early '90s, "Whispers in the Dark" is a fairly deflated attempt at that subgenre which succeeds in some regards but probably fails in more. The screenplay has some decent raw ideas, though it does not really reach the boiling point that it should in the last act.
One of the biggest problems with the film is its uninspired performances. There are good, even great actors here, but most of them seem disconnected from the material, and the vast majority of the performances are limp and lifeless--even Annabella Sciorra, Alan Arkin, and Jill Clayburgh seem bored, and Jamey Sheridan is especially awful as the male lead. Anthony LaPaglia is somewhat memorable as the aggressive detective, but he is given very little to do. The two standouts here are Deborah Unger, who truly steals the show, and John Leguizamo, each appearing in early performances in their respective careers as Sciorra's disturbed patients. Their performances make the film worth seeing. Everyone else... not so much.
Uninspired acting aside, there is some fun to be had here for those who have a nostalgia for early-'90s thrillers. Despite its faults, I will admit the film is reasonably entertaining, but it must be taken entirely on its own terms. It is not extreme enough to have a campy appeal, nor do the stakes ever feel high enough for the audience to really take it all that seriously. All in all, this is a fairly lukewarm thriller. It is not terrible, but it is certainly undistinguished among its peers. Watch it for Unger and Leguizamo. 6/10.