RATING: B

Vertical Entertainment presents a Hideout Pictures production in association with Open Studios. Directed by Diego Velasco. Produced by Margaret Miller, Trevor O’Neil, and Diego Velasco. Written by Carolina Paiz, Esteban Orozco, and Diego Velasco; from an original screenplay by Nacho Palacios. Cinematography by Camilo Monsalve Ossa. Edited by Otto Schueren. 

Stars Diane Guerrero, Juan Pablo Raba, Indhira Serrano, Laura Garcia Marulanda, Carlos Velasquez, Laureano Olivarez, Laura Sofia Dominguez, and Samantha Chaverra. 

A grieving mother coming to terms with the loss of her daughter finds herself in a major predicament in this supernatural horror film from Diego Velasco.

Nicole and Sebastian Castillo are in Venezuela after Sebastian’s father was found dead near his family farmland. Nicole has been also grieving the death of their daughter Daniela. Upon their arrival at the farm, the couple tries to convince Sebastian’s mother to sell the farm so she can retire in peace. However, she tells the couple that there are squatters living nearby doing weird rituals at night and despite her efforts to get rid of them, proved unsuccessful.

Nicole discovers her mother-in-law’s maid Petra has been warding off an evil spirit. When she sees a ritual from the squatting cult, Nicole is shocked to find a woman has been possessed temporarily by the spirit of her daughter. She soon discovers the cult follow a malevolent figure that could be responsible for her father-in-law’s death, causing friction between herself and Sebastian. When Nicole plans to speak to her daughter one last time despite a series of deaths occurring, Sebastian plans to find a way to end the mayhem once and for all.

This film by Diego Velasco brings to mind the trauma of loss and adds a spirituality theme to its supernatural horror. Based on an earlier screenplay by Nacho Palacios, Velasco collaborates with Carolina Paiz and Esteban Orozco. While there is the primary focus on our central character reeling from her loss, it seems to sometimes take the back burner to showing death and mayhem at the hands of the titular monster. 

Diane Guerrero has had some great turns in Orange is the New Black, Doom Patrol, and Encanto. She takes the lead here as the grieving Nicole, who can’t help but be unable to get over the loss of her daughter while her husband Sebastian, played by Juan Pablo Raba, wants to move on despite having to come to Venezuela to attend his father’s funeral. He wants his mother to sell their land and retire, but she has no intention to and even berates his mother for speaking Spanish to Nicole, who doesn’t speak it well. However, Nicole is relieved and disagrees with Sebastian on that matter.

If you’ve seen these supernatural horror films based on spirituality, there is some wicked imagery that is bound to happen and this proves no different. When Nicole crosses a wooden rickety bridge to watch the “cult” perform a spell on an innocent woman, it is met with some insane images. Including the woman convulsing as the “leader” if you want to call him that, spits liquor at her, and the woman bleeds from the mouth. It is here where things really pick up when Nicole sees the woman possessed by her daughter. 

This leads to an insane series of incidents that temporarily take away the heart of the film, and are there to show the power of the Whistler and to bring a little bit of shock value. Sometimes the film has a Children of the Corn vibe, but one particular kill scene in the farmhouse was jaw-dropping. As if that’s not insane enough, the finale takes an unexpected turn and also brings some shock value overall. 

The Whistler does its best to mesh trauma with supernatural horror and it does work from time to time. However, it sometimes feels as if the supplementary kills distracted from the main story, yet it feels as a breakaway from it. Diane Guerrero drives the film when it calls for it. 

The film will be released in select theaters on April 17.