Movies about people communicating with their loved ones who have died are not that abundant. It seems that this subgenre of mystery and supernatural movies peaked at the beginning of the 21st century. White Noise is technically a supernatural thriller featuring an intriguing concept of EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomenon. From what I’ve about EVP, it would appear that this is, to be blunt, bullshit. However, the very concept seems reasonable enough. And I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s real or not.
Ultimately, that’s just a bonus because White Noise is a solid movie worth watching. It belongs to a wave of similar mystery and supernatural movies that all came out within a couple of years. I’m talking about movies like Frequency, The Mothman Prophecies, Dragonfly, and others. They, as well as the movie we’re talking about today, have this immersive atmosphere that slowly corrodes your rational thinking as time goes on. And then, before you know it, you’ve already suspended your belief and are waiting for the next big thing.
This is also down to a great cast led by Michael Keaton and my crush Deborah Kara Unger. Their committed performances made you believe that something is really going on with this EVP thing. So, you’ve got a great atmosphere, a solid story, and good performances, what more to want from a movie? Perhaps awesome cinematography and great sets? All of these things gave the movie this “official” vibe that made it easier to swallow all the supernatural stuff. After all, who knows maybe all of this shit is real.
Jonathan and Anna are a successful and happily married couple. Today was supposed to be a day like any other but as the night crept up, Jonathan sensed that something is off. His wife was not home yet and not too long after that, she was declared missing. Overwhelmed by grief, Jonathan dismisses a strange man claiming that he can contact his wife, now presumed dead. However, as days went on, he decides to take him up on his offer. Soon he will find himself in world he didn’t even know existed a couple of days ago. A world of white noise that’s perhaps full of messages from beyond…
I have to tell you my personal experience with this movie, White Noise. I watched it when it came out, in 2005 and became completely obsessed with the whole EVP phenomenon. Moreover, I believed it was real and because of that movie hit me much harder than I could’ve imagined. It opened up whole new avenues of thoughts and feelings. However, as time went on, I slowly but surely, started debunking every piece of pseudo-scientific and bogus belief I held.
I eventually became the skeptical cynic that I am today. And I don’t see that changing any time soon. Or ever. So, when I look back at this time, I can recall those strange feelings I felt while watching these movies. Like I was discovering something life-changing and utterly profound. I wonder did you have similar experiences. Please submit your responses in the EVP form in the comments below. Oh yeah, there’s a sequel to this movie, imaginatively titled White Noise: The Light, starring Nathan Fillion and Katee Sackhoff. It looks quite watchable.
Director: Geoffrey Sax
Writer: Niall Johnson
Cast: Michael Keaton, Chandra West, Deborah Kara Unger, Ian McNeice, Sarah Strange
Fun Facts: If you watch the trailer for the movie White Noise, you’ll hear a supposedly real EVP recording of Stanley Searles, who died in 2002, saying “I love you”.
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IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375210/
