Whispers From the Grave (3/5)

Whispers From the Grave (org. title Lad De Døde Hvile) is a new Danish horror-comedy. What it lacks in budget, it more than makes up for with charm and passion. Screened at CPH PIX 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Whispers From the Grave has been several years in the making. Unfortunately, this is far from uncommon when Danish filmmakers decide to make a movie in the horror genre.

However, the director of this movie didn’t give up and the result is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Even the production value is much better than you would ever expect from a low-budget movie. Yes, I am talking about the sound element. This time around, it simply is not an issue. That alone is something worth applauded. Fortunately, it is far from the only highlight.

Charm and passion will get you far

If there’s one thing Whispers From the Grave absolutely nails, then it’s the very laidback approach. Early on, you may find yourself doing an eye-roll because of a line in the movie. Don’t worry, one of the characters in the movie will be doing the same thing.

This movie is meant to entertain those who love the horror genre. So the filmmakers clearly know how the audience will react to the more stereotypical elements. That’s why these elements are included only to state “Don’t worry, this isn’t that kind of movie!”

This isn’t a spoof or anything. Whispers From the Grave is a horror-comedy made by a director who loves this genre. Especially horror from the 1980s.

Sounds pretty damn good, right?!

Mostly unfamiliar faces

Most of the cast in Whispers From the Grave will be unknown to you. Even if you’re Danish, these aren’t actors you will recognize. Yet, anyway!

The one exception is Baard Owe, who has a key role. Baard Owe was in Lars von Trier’s TV series The Kingdom (the original Danish version called Riget). Unfortunately, Baard Owe passed away in 2017. The movie is dedicated to him as well as another crew member.

Like I stated earlier, this movie has been many years in the making.

Other than actors, the cast also includes a Danish YouTuber called Razi Irawani. He has an impeccable comedic timing and offers the perfect amount of comic relief. Of course, a funny guy like Razi Irawani needs a “straight man” to work across from.

In Whispers From the Grave that would be the lead character, Jimmy, who is portrayed by  Jakob Hasselstrøm. These two play off of each other pretty perfectly which is the main reason the movie works.

We want more from  Sohail A. Hassan

The writer-director of Whispers From the Grave is Sohail A. Hassan. Previously, he has made short films and even taught filmmaking. This is his first feature film and he has already stated that he would like to do more in this genre.

That’s very good news to us since we definitely want more from Sohail A. Hassan.

To create a horror movie with so much heart is no small task. Especially when making a horror-comedy where anything more “emotional” can easily take away from the mood of the film. The balance is good with this one. It’s only the pace that I would want to change a bit. And really, that’s not much at all. A solid 6 out of 10 on IMDb gives this movie a very nice 3 out of 5 here at Heaven of Horror.

Whispers From the Grave [Lad De Døde Hvile] world premiered at CPH PIX 2018 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The movie is currently without an international distributor – find the website for Whispers From the Grave here >

Details

Director: Sohail A. Hassan
Cast: Baard Owe, Sigurd Barret, Danny Thykær, Jacob Hasselstrøm, Razi Irawani, Sidse Kinnerup, Maria Fritsche

Plot

Jimmy is obsessed with contacting his deceased mother through black magic. When his new friend Amir convinces him to impress the hottest girls at school with a ritual, they accidentally unleash an evil force that may raise the dead.