Sean Parker
There are many different horror subgenres out there for the horror fan. Some come pouring on the blood and guts, while others methodically bore themselves into your psyche, preying on your paranoia and deep-seated fears. When people think of horror films, they typically describe the former, but the latter’s methods can wreak havoc on your cerebellum for days. It’s the exact type of horror experience you’ll find in James B. Cox’s latest Call of the Void, which turns one woman’s isolative getaway into a fight for survival.
Starring I, Tonya and Chicago Fire star Caitlin Carver, Call of the Void plays a bit on the Jack London book, taking us out to a remote mountain cabin where Carver’s Moray has retreated in the wake of burnout set in motion by ignoring her grief for her recently deceased brother. But remote isolative cabins in the woods just aren’t like they once were, and the stillness of her first evening is upended by the close-quarters cabin beside her where a folk-rock band has moved in to create their next album. Attempting to get out of her own head, Moray befriends the magnetic lead vocalist Lucy (Lost in Space’s Mina Sundwall) and soon ends up on a meditative hike with her band Sterling (The Wretched’s Richard Ellis), Cole (Spartacus’ Christian Antidormi), and Darryl (Nickel Boys’ Ethan Herisse) until she discovers she’s been ditched.
The next day, Lucy tries to spin the story while coming to ask Moray if she’s seen Darryl, who has seemingly vanished. However, as the band and Moray search for their missing friend, the strong inference that Lucy and her band are hiding something begins to overtake Moray. Suspecting something happened in the woods to change her friends’ behavior, Moray hopes to discover the truth by finding Darryl before they do. Call of the Void fuses that Jack London survivalism title with some enthusiastic Lovecraft vibes, moving into Call of Cthulu territory as a low-level hum in the woods may hold the key to everything.
For as sonically inclined as Call of the Void presents, There is no special sound mix stimulating the senses or providing auditory chills. However, I get the sense that Cox is a fan of Jeffrey A. Brown’s filmography. Much of what I saw in Call of the Void felt like what I expected from Brown’s 2023 film The Unheard, which follows a similar concept of isolative retreat and auditory paranoia. Meanwhile, other elements, such as bioluminescent mushroom patches, give consideration to Brown’s eerily cosmic early-days-of-quarantine hit, The Beach House. Call of the Void feels like a combination of the two films, with Cox effectively crafting a captivating supernatural thriller between them.
There’s a lot to like here in Cox’s film. For starters, the cast is excellent. Sundwall manages a bubbly charisma and elevates the scenes she’s in, while Antidormi and Ellis inform Cole and Sterling with a slightly aggressive edge to provide threatening auras once their personalities change. Herisse manages distress well, keeping himself together whilst being hunted. Meanwhile, the inquisitiveness and terror-filled anxiety Carver’s Moray elicits help build scenes of heavy consternation that translate into audience trepidation. The viewer feels every careful step the POV character takes as she tiptoes around her neighbor’s cabin for clues, which leads to a Halloween-inspired scene of intensity.
The cast’s communal chemistry of this ensemble helps affect scenes, whether on the same side or against, and these performances do a lot of Call of the Void’s heavy lifting. The film, which could act like a slow-crawling indie sci-fi drama, manages pace and tone efficiently. Call of the Void pulls the audience in and provides a dynamic of faux comfort until the otherworldly shoe drops, pulling the rug out from underneath Moray as she discovers the truth. The rotating anxiety-inducing situations keep audiences on the edge of their seats and provide a thrilling overall experience.
However, while the bulk of the film is a strong rise toward a very Tales from the Crypt or Twilight Zone finale, the final moments of Call of the Void leave far more questions than provide answers. What transpires between Moray, Darryl, and the rest of the band is pretty well-detailed, but the curious epilogue leaves much to muse about. While I prefer a degree of mystery, the lingering effect is perplexing, given the characters’ surroundings and actions. Where this would be a good time for an ominous and ambitious final shot, the film stays on psychological footing, considering connectivity and individuality while explaining nothing and leaving the audience a little surprised by the view from the top of Call of the Void’s impressive build.
Though the film’s ending is borderline unsatisfying, it’s the only turbulence Call of the Void encounters. The rest of the presentation is well done, embroiling characters and audiences in a unique fear reliant on instinct and intelligence, which makes for an exceptionally engrossing, visceral experience. And, while the ending may not have been what I’d hoped for, the discussions the film’s finale can create is an insightful design by director James B. Cox, ultimately making it a trip into the woods worth taking.
Call of the Void is now available on PVOD.
Call Of The Void | Official Trailer | Gravitas Ventures
Available on Digital + On Demand April 15, 2025 After the death of her brother, Moray tries to escape to a cabin in the woods when her retreat is derailed by a college band and their suspicious professor. They encounter a mysterious hum that once heard, there is no return.
