The Whistler Review (Short Film, 2020)
“The Whistler” is an urban legend/fairy tale horror short film. Lindsey has to babysit her younger sister, Becky, when her parents go out. When she wakes up, she discovers Becky is gone. She remembers telling Becky the story of The Whistler, a man who led children out of town while whistling to baptize them in a stream.
Writer/director Jennifer Nicole Stang has made a name for herself directing horror, thriller, and fantasy short films. “The Whistler” is her newest film, and it shows the mastery of her craft. She knows how to take a small but compelling concept and bring it to fruition.
“The Whistler” is a moody horror story in that Brothers Grimm style. Lindsey is obsessed with being grown up, even though she’s a teenager. She makes fun of Becky for wanting to read a bedtime story because she’s “too old” for it. Becky doesn’t even notice. Becky enjoys hearing bedtime stories, playing with her pet rat, and asking questions about things she doesn’t quite understand yet. Lindsey just wants to get through the night so she can see her boyfriend like she wants to.
The sound design sets the story up. There’s a whispering narration that opens the film, “Rise and be baptized.” From there, the other sounds of the woods encroach on Lindsey’s house. The wind, the breathing, the movement mixed into pre-title teaser sneak in and out of the sound mix. Lindsey notices, too.
When Becky disappears, the sound design flips. The noise of the woods is dominant in the mix, while the everyday noises of Lindsey’s world fade to the background. Something is wrong. When the story moves outside, the world is eerily quiet. The world has changed and Lindsey’s understanding of the world might not be as flawless as she thought it was.
The visual design in the second half of the film is simple and effective. Elements you see in the illustrated storybook Becky wants to read appear in the house. Becky’s lost pet turns out to be a rat, a nod to the Pied Piper. The rat reappears after The Whistler has visited and the young child is missing from the house.
It’s part of the shorthand that can allow for a short film like “The Whistler” to succeed. The story of The Whistler is a localized variant of The Pied Piper. Instead of a pipe, the wandering stranger whistles to lure his targets out of town. The Whistler jumps straight to taking the children, while The Pied Piper only takes the children for revenge. We don’t know what the people did to turn The Whistler into a monster or if he always was one. We know that he’s obsessed with the innocent and repentance.
Because you know the story of The Pied Piper, Stang doesn’t have to waste time in the short establishing the further connotations of this story; you bring that knowledge to the table so she can twist the concept straight away and run with it.
“The Whistler” is streaming on Shudder.
My new book, #31Days: A Collection of Horror Essays, Vol. 1, is available on Ko-fi.
