Rent Voice from the Stone (2017)

Atmospheric ghost story - Voice from the Stone review by NP

This is a beautifully filmed slow-burning horror, with an extraordinary performance from Emilia Clarke (Verena) and her magnificently expressive eyebrows. Alongside her, Marton Csokas is excellent as the initially cold and spiky Laus, who employs Verena as a nanny to his son Jakob (touchingly played by Edward Dring) who is rendered silent by the passing of his mother.

We have three main players here – the actors, the cinematography and the story. Possibly the story lags behind the magnificence of the others by suffering from a slightly muddled ending. I found ‘Voice from the Stone’ completely absorbing from start to finish, so the criticism is a mild one.

The atmosphere casts a melancholy, creepy shadow over everything, and that’s where this film succeeds, and in the growing relationship between the three main characters. There are no CGI tricks here, no jump scares, and the pace moves at a leisurely pace – all of which might not appeal to some.

Director Eric D. Howell has weaved an almost magical world here, cut off from society for the most part and drenched in autumnal brilliance. The cast bring the characters life wonderfully. My score is 8 out of 10.