Jerry Hickfang works at a bathtub factory in the small town of Milton. He is upbeat, socially awkward, and particularly interested in Fiona, a woman who works in the accounting department.
At home, Jerry shares his apartment with his dog Bosco and cat Mr. Whiskers. He also has conversations with them.
Bosco encourages Jerry to see himself as a good person, while Mr. Whiskers voices far more violent ideas. The animals are part of Jerry’s hallucinations, which become increasingly important as his grip on what is happening around him begins to shift.
After an encounter with Fiona ends in her accidental death, Jerry’s attempts to deal with what happened lead to further violence. His perception of his surroundings often differs dramatically from reality, allowing the film to move between cheerful, colourful scenes and much more disturbing versions of the same spaces.
Ryan Reynolds stars as Jerry and also provides the voices of Bosco, Mr. Whiskers, and several other figures in Jerry’s hallucinations. Gemma Arterton plays Fiona, Anna Kendrick plays Jerry’s co-worker Lisa, and Jacki Weaver appears as his psychiatrist, Dr. Warren.
Directed by Marjane Satrapi and written by Michael R. Perry, The Voices combines serial killer horror with crime, psychological thriller, and dark comedy. Much of the story is presented through Jerry’s perspective, leaving the audience to move between the world as he experiences it and the considerably darker reality around him.
Why The Voices Is on Love of Gothic
The Voices combines serial killer horror, murder, hallucinations, talking severed heads, and dark comedy within an increasingly violent story.
Its visual contrasts also give the film an unusual place within darker cinema. Jerry’s perception can make his surroundings appear bright and inviting, while glimpses outside that perspective reveal death, decay, and the physical consequences of his actions.
With its mixture of psychological horror, gruesome imagery, crime, and black comedy, The Voices fits within the broader collection of strange and dark cinema represented on Love of Gothic.