The Voices

Name: The Voices
Genre: Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Released: February 6, 2015
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Adi Shankar, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Ryan Reynolds

2015

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 115 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 115 Ratings

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The Voices

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Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate | Release Date: February 6, 2015 | R

Starring: Adi Shankar, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Ryan Reynolds

Summary: A disturbed factory worker (Ryan Reynolds) who hears advice from his pet dog and cat is implicated in the accidental death of his co-worker.

Director: Marjane Satrapi

Genre(s): Thriller, Comedy, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

Film.com Eric D. Snider

Jan 22, 2014

Here is a pitch-black psycho-horror-comedy to restore one’s faith in the “What the eff did I just watch?” genre. Read full review

Ben Nicholson

Mar 19, 2015

Not only is The Voices uproariously funny throughout, but it's actually far cleverer than one might expect. Read full review

Claudia Puig

Feb 5, 2015

The quirky film is simultaneously bizarre, humorous, disturbing and suspenseful. Read full review

Boyd van Hoeij

Jan 26, 2015

The film’s combination of psychological drama -- cue the childhood trauma -- with blood-splattered limb-cutting, talking heads in the fridge and talking pets on the couch is a risky one that finally works because Perry and Satrapi find the right tonal mixture for the material. Read full review

Empire Nick de Semlyen

Mar 16, 2015

Full-force performance form Ryan Reynolds but not as funny as it hopes it is. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Jan 26, 2015

In tapping Satrapi to interpret this project, the producers have done about as well as one could expect with such material. Still, a bit more consistency in style would have gone a long way. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Jan 31, 2015

For most of the film's running time, one mistakes the main character's callousness for the filmmakers'. Read full review

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User Reviews

lordcsx

Apr 22, 2015

This film is quite disturbing, nevertheless it's so much fun to watch. Some interesting characters, and a dash of lunacy.
Ryan Reynolds pulled of a convincing deranged mentally ill character, and the Anna Kendrick - Gemma Arterton duo is also good even if their characters are a little bit clichés.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

TrilobiteG

Aug 17, 2015

The most hilarious, somewhat suspensful and somewhat good-feeling (I dunno...) mind **** of a film I have ever experienced. Never before in my life have I been able to laugh so hard and also feel that chill down my spine. Outstanding performances in and out. Sensational movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Duskspark

Feb 8, 2015

Ryan Reynolds is a terrific actor, and Jerry in "The Voices" might be his best performance yet. Wonderfully weird and psychologically twisted, "The Voices" is a mix between "Filth" and "Donnie Darko" with its own personality. A must-watch.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Edeltraud

Oct 26, 2017

Impossibly, this flick is a comedy, dark comedy, thriller, gore-fest/slasher, psychological thriller, absurdist, romance (and finally, a musical) that sorta, more or less, works. With that mixed genre, the viewer is whipped hither & yon, never quite sure what to expect or what to make of theImpossibly, this flick is a comedy, dark comedy, thriller, gore-fest/slasher, psychological thriller, absurdist, romance (and finally, a musical) that sorta, more or less, works. With that mixed genre, the viewer is whipped hither & yon, never quite sure what to expect or what to make of the goings on. The day after I saw it, I liked it even better & have to give it a pretty high score just for originality and the fact that it doesn't go off the rails (at least not in a bad way, you know, where the concept devolves into some annoying miasma of plot twists & artsy imagery.) Not only does The Voices cover all the aforementioned ground, but the film also provides insight into mental illness & childhood trauma in an entertaining way. Ryan Reynolds & Anna Kendrick wouldn't especially draw me to a movie, but they did a nice job here, especially Reynolds in his turn as a Dexter-esque dude. The topic of women getting stalked & slashed is something I'd typically avoid (hate that fetishy vibe & have seen it too much) -- but somehow this turn manages to embrace that theme in a OK way & give it a fresh take.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 26, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is very much a dark comedy and crime related film, with horror elements present and themes including murder, trauma and impersonation. Its very much a surreal and wacky type of a film, which is made clear from the start, probably about the second scene onwards. The ending is also particularly spookily light hearted and fun to watch.

I felt there was a strongly artificial feel of what I can only term as 'enforced happiness' present relatively early on, with the film having somewhat of a corporate feel to it as well. It struck me, somehow, as possibly like a live action, darker version of something like Garfield. It also reminded me of the relatively new Netflix series 'Santa Clarita Diet', due to the more gory elements and dark humour, of course.

Cast wise, Ryan Reynolds plays the main character, Jerry, who comes across, certainly initially, as quite a regular inoffensive, run-of-the-mill type - a pretty average-joe. I found myself feeling sorry for him after the initial turn of events. He is the sort of person who, I imagine, most wouldn't think it at all likely that he'd do what he does and in a way I suppose that could make the film more disturbing, or distressing but I felt it added to the dark humour. Reynolds was, I felt, a good choice to play Jerry - he certainly looks the part as an average-joe. There is a certain bumbling naivety that he shows through his portrayal, I felt. Meanwhile, Gemma Arterton plays Fiona, portraying a bright and breezy young English girl and Anna Kendrick plays Lisa. Jacki Weaver plays Jerrys doctor, doctor Warren.

I did find it relatively amusing in parts but, as I say, it is quite surreal. Some may feel it to be a bit distasteful, not least as it seems to portray someone with mental health issues, who hears voices clearly being prone to sudden violence and far from everyone is that way - its an unfortunate stereotype of sorts but I mostly enjoyed the film, for its quirkiness. I wondered about describing Jerry as an underdog type but then I'm not sure if we'd be wanting to 'root' for him, giving the circumstances. If I had to compare it to a TV show then the first one that would come to mind would be Dexter, which was (is? if its still going - I watched it for a few seasons but then stopped as it got quite 'same-y' and a little overly bleak for my liking overall) quite heavy with dark comedy. At times, I noticed the use of a sort of child like, instrumental, perhaps including harp music, which added to the artificial, corporate and naive feel of the film. There was relatively little other music. Content wise, the film features frequent strong language, sex references and some TV footage that seems to show various animals mating. There is also some quite bloody violence, some of which isn't entirely shown on screen but we see a fair amount of blood including on people, in the form of blood spatter and the like. Severed body parts are also shown, so if your very squeamish in relation to blood then this is likely a film best avoided. There is also a flashback scene featuring Jerry as a child, with his mother, which involves violence and may be particularly upsetting to some. Otherwise, Jerry's behaviour when things turn dark may well frighten people, particularly younger people. Due to this content, the film has been given a 15 rating.

While its a good film and its moderately memorable, it didn't strike me as being especially great as such. The characters are ok, mainly Jerry but the supporting roles were a little bland and I felt that, with a stronger script, perhaps this could have been a bit better, a bit more substantial. Overall, yes, I suppose I would recommend it. It won't suit everyone but it is relatively amusing and it features a good performance by Ryan Reynolds, with some dark humour, its worth a watch, although it may seem a bit distasteful to some.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

oDjento

Mar 27, 2016

The Voices is actually a rather interesting movie. The film provides a look into a mentally damaged psychopaths head in a funny and kind of touching way whilst not condoning his actions but helping you understand how they may think.
Ryan Reynolds is actually very enjoyable in this film andThe Voices is actually a rather interesting movie. The film provides a look into a mentally damaged psychopaths head in a funny and kind of touching way whilst not condoning his actions but helping you understand how they may think.
Ryan Reynolds is actually very enjoyable in this film and easy to watch and the other cast member play their roles fine too. The film does seem to slow a bit getting towards the end and may have a few rough edges at time but it is a nice unique and more comedic take on something similar to American Psycho.
The personification of the animals are also great and make a nice contrast of the Id and super ego fighting between itself, it shows in a comedic and visual way the psychological battle going on inside a psychopath’s head as he slowly bends toward the Id.
I would say this film is well worth a check out. It may not be the best film ever and may have a few slip ups at times but it is quite an easy watch, despite all the blood and dismemberment. A nice unique and slightly thought provoking dark comedy. Also, the ending is extremely bizarre but I can kind of understand what they were doing with it.
6/10… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

actinium

Oct 21, 2021

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0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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