Movie Review: Call of the Void

Opening with an extended sequence that visualizes a black hole, accompanied by Clayton Worbeck’s haunting ambient score, then transitioning into eerie but lovely nighttime nature footage, one immediately gets the impression that Call of the Void is going to take us to some trippy places. And it sort of does, but not nearly as much as it promises.

Moray (Caitlin Carver) has retreated to a cabin-style condo in a remote area of wilderness to get some time alone after the death of her brother. Her solitude is quickly broken by the arrival of a group of young people at the neighboring unit, but they seem friendly enough and invite her over for breakfast. After initially declining, she hears them performing music through her wall and changes her mind. She discovers that the group are actually an Appalachian folk music band consisting of singer Lucy (Mina Sundwall), guitarist / Lucy’s boyfriend Sterling (Richard Ellis), and bass guitarist Cole (Christian Antidormi). Additionally, they have brought along budding audio technician Darryl (Ethan Herisse) to record their playing.

While Moray likes her temporary neighbors well enough, it’s quickly clear to her that something is a little off about them, as tensions seem to be simmering just below the surface and their college professor, Mr. Blackwood (Ted Barton), who owns their unit and wasn’t supposed to be present was sighted the prior evening but is now nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, she agrees to join them on a hike into the surrounding woods where they will each separate and spend an hour alone, quietly experiencing nature however they see fit. Of course, subtly strange things begin to happen and Moray is left to figure out exactly what it is that her new acquaintances and the missing professor are hoping to accomplish in the forest.

There is plenty to admire about this little movie, but it doesn’t wind up gelling into a satisfying whole. With his sophomore feature, writer / director James B. Cox displays great skill at creating atmosphere and tension from very little, quickly getting viewers into the headspace he wants them in and utilizing Diego Elías Basurto and Tim Chilton’s slick sound work and Rapha Bola’s striking cinematography to keep us there. Likewise, the cast do great with the material and feel like genuine people, even if they are sometimes saddled with slightly clunky dialogue and some dubious decision-making skills.

It’s at the finale where it all kind of falls apart. Cox is able to keep us in suspense as events become increasingly bewildering, but the reveal is incapable of living up to everything that precedes it. Perhaps this is due to budgetary limitations, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling like a bit of a letdown. Still, Call of the Void proves an intriguing, eerie, and lovingly crafted slice of folk horror with some Lovecraftian flourishes. Watched alone in a dark room it can generate some moments of genuine fear. It’s just a shame about the ending. ★★½