Director – J.M. Stelly (The Demonologist, Abacus)
Starring – Jared Bankens (Twisted Metal, Devil’s Peak), Kirsten Bazet (Interview with the Vampire, Claws), and Katie Bankens
Release Date – 2024
Rating – 4/5
I recently had a double feature of films from director J.M. Stelly and really enjoyed myself. I started this little adventure with his gritty crime thriller Abacus which was a lot of fun but it’s similarities to the pop horror franchise Saw was very noticeable. Once I finished with that one I moved on to his second film Call of the Void.
This was a bit of an unusual film being part silent and part narrated. This was a bit of a creative gamble but I absolutely loved it. I once again want to thank Stelly for sending this one over for review!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a man with a horrible addiction. As he struggles with his creative outlets and addiction, he soon finds himself face to face with the void and the ghosts that haunt it. **Spoiler Alert**
Call of the Void is one of those films that you are either going to love or absolutely hate it. While I absolutely loved it, I can see why some genre fans will hate it. It’s a beautifully strange film with amazing cinematography and screen presence without taking away from the story.
The acting in this one is great. The film has an extremely small cast but all eyes are on Jared Bankens who delivers a fucking intense performance. I’ve seen mental illness and addiction before but he absolutely knocked it out of the park on camera. This film should be seen for his performance alone.
The story for this one is a loving tribute to the silent era with a dash of German expressionism and a bit of the haunting madness that made Lovecraft a genre name. It all comes together to deliver a very unique film experience that is rarely seen in the modern era. As I stated earlier, this was a creative gamble that I do believe paid off. With that being said, I wish it would have stuck with the silent aspect instead of switching between it and the narration. Also, a few of the scenes were a bit too long which did impede the flow of the film.
Finally, don’t expect a blood bath or a flick full or gore. Instead, it relies heavily on atmosphere and tension which it does very nicely. Overall, Call of the Void may be one of the most impressive indie productions I’ve reviewed to date. I can see this title being polarizing among genre fans but I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend checking it out.
