182. VOICES CARRY (CINEQUEST 2025) dir. Abby Brenker and Ellyn Vander Wyden

In Abby Brenker and Ellyn Vander Wyden's VOICES CARRY, which premiered last Saturday, March 15 at the 2025 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California, a woman (Gia Crovatin) returns to her lakefront childhood home, confronting the difficult memories of her mother's untimely death.Discovering an old diary in the shed, she's shocked to discover that not only did her mother write in it shortly before her death, but also did a slew of women, spanning back to the 1700s. What starts as historical intrigue devolves into potentially supernatural obsession as the history of trauma and secrets within the diary's pages leave her swearing she can hear the voices of these women calling to her from across the lake.VOICES CARRY is, at times, too tepidly paced for its own good. Are these voices real? Are they hallucinations of a stressed mind? This tightrope requires a delicate balance to get right but the movie almost goes too delicate, leaving the mystery up to expository dumps and a flurry of beautifully shot scenes that leave me cold.Don't get me wrong. I love Mauricio Vasquez's cinematography, mainly its voyeuristic approach and techniques that help translate the protagonist's state of mind. This lakefront property looks like a travel ad at times, it's so pristine.I think with this movie, the mileage may vary depending on where expectations lie. For those interested in how woman's mental health difficulties are misdiagnosed throughout history - witchcraft, hysteria, possession, etc. - this story may provide a valuable perspective. I just wish the movie also provided a propulsive quality.---Follow The Movies on Instagram & LetterboxdThrow a couple dollars in the tip jar!