Dark Whispers

About

When Clara discovers her deceased mother’s revered ‘Book of Dark Whispers’, she can’t stop reading the strange stories within its mystical pages. Each tale reveals a new facet of the twisted human psyche… or the not-so-human… as the case may be. From the horror of grief to a share-house living disaster, existential dread to right-swiping vampires, there’s something for all tastes; as long as those tastes are twisted. Created by Megan Riakos and starring Andrea Demetriades, Asher Keddie, Anthony LaPaglia and Bree Desborough, the Dark Whispers horror anthology is brought to you by eleven female directors from across Australia.

Additional Information:

Anthology Feature Film
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama
Running Time: 99 mins
Year: 2019
Production Company: Hemlock & Cedar Films
Copyright: © Hemlock & Cedar Films
IMDB
Watch Dark Whispers

Cast & Crew

Directors:
Megan Riakos (wraparound director)
Angie Black, Briony Kidd, Isabel Peppard, Janine Hewitt, Jub Clerc, Kaitlin Tinker, Katrina Irawati Graham, Lucy Gouldthorpe, Madeleine Purdy, Marion Pilowsky (segment directors)

Writers:
Megan Riakos (wraparound director)
Claire d’Este, Isabel Peppard, Janine Hewitt, Jean-Phillipe Lopez, Joel Perlgut, Jub Clerc, Kaitlin Tinker, Katrina Irawati Graham, Madeleine Purdy, Marion Pilowsky, Michael Harden, Sylvia Clarke, Warwick Burton (segment writers)

Producers:
Produced by Megan Riakos & Leonie Marsh, associate produced by Briony Kidd and executive produced by Enzo Tedeschi.

Segment Producers:
Angie Black, Belinda Kelsall, Briony Kidd, Clare Bajrovic, David Ma, Emma Crethary, Emma Spencer, George Rubanov, Janine Hewitt, Joel Perlgut, Josh Vines, Lucy Gouldthorpe, Rebecca Thomson, Rosie Newall, Yiani Andrikdis, Warwick Burton.

Starring:
Asher Keddie, Anthony LaPaglia, Andrea Demetriades, Bree Desborough

Reviews

“The vignettes are a mix of quirky, eerie, ironic, sinister, cheeky, melancholy…there’s a cohesiveness across the whole that makes it all hang together nicely. Rather than opt for schlock genre cliches, the films all rely on classic, well-crafted story-telling.”

City Hub

“This absorbing collection from a group of fascinating voices is well worth seeking out.”

Horror Fuel

“Grief and loss, reflected in a myriad of forms, emerged as strong yet by no means universal themes therein. Birthday Girl by Angie Black, Kaitlin Tinker’s The Man Who Caught a Mermaid and Marion Pilowsky’s The Ride stood as particular highlights, with Riakos’ own strand tying the diverse narratives together too a stand out.”

Festevez

“Excellently well-crafted stories that make for a highly enjoyable narrative and proves that there are some dark and sinister tales to be told from some exciting female creatives that deserve praise and recognition.”

Surgeons of Horror

“Australian feminist horror anthology: from giggles to shivers in a scream of dark joy…Dark Whispers is more diverse than many horror anthologies… bursting with ideas and energetic visual approaches.”

ScreenHub

“A collection of vivid and complex horror shorts directed by women.”

ScreenSpace

“A shining example of horror anthology film done right. Woven intricately together with the thematic thread of grief, love, and moving on, Dark Whispers asks us to peek behind the curtains of loss and face what we see there, even when it shocks us.”

Killer Horror Critic

“A phenomenal example of a horror film done right. This dark anthology filled with ominous tales of warning, went way beyond my expectations. You need to see this exceptional film.”

Morbidly Beautiful

“An intriguing showcase of Australian female storytelling within the horror genre, a journey through a dark collection of modern-day fairy-tales with some important messages at its core. It doesn’t hold its punches and leaves plenty to think about long after the closing credits, much like the legacy of stories passed down from one generation to the next.”

Nightmarish Conjurings

“The film itself is super accessible, which is such a positive as it allows a wider audience to be able to enjoy a horror experience. The horror genre in the modern age can often focus a lot on blood and gore or ramping up the jump scares, but Dark Whispers Volume 1 focuses on the psychological more than the physical presence of something horrific.”

The Women’s Direction

“These stories are largely of the subtle and psychological variety, searching for a deeper meaning or a timely message and allowing the female directors to explore every type of terror, from body horror to extreme paranoia…You’ll quickly decide on your own favourites and be left wanting more.”

Make The Switch

“Dark Whispers Volume 1 is an ideal showcase for the wealth of female directing talent on display here and if there is a Volume 2 on the horizon I’ll be here for it.”

Love Horror

“There’s also Dark Whispers – Volume 1, a horror anthology directed by 11 female filmmakers from Down Under, showing once more how prolific Australia is when it comes to getting under your skin. There’s something for everyone: ghost stories linked to grief, animations about heartbreak, paranoia-soaked morality tales and even a lurid spin on Ron Howard’s Splash.”

Exberliner

Bonus Features

Dark Whispers – Volume 1 Trailer

The Dark Whispers – Volume 1 creative team give their impression of ‘what horror is’

Angie Black – The Director of Birthday Girl provides a sneak peak into her film

Kaitlin Tinker – The Director of The Man Who Caught A Mermaid provides a sneak peak into her film

Educational Module

The Dark Whispers educational module is an ideal learning tool for Libraries, Schools and Universities with Screen Studies, Women Studies and Cultural Studies Departments. Key areas of discussion include history of anthology films, the genesis of Dark Whispers, genre context, themes and influences for each of the segments, filmmaker tips and advice and an overall analysis of female voices in cinema and social commentary hidden in genre from a feminist perspective.