Whisper

DVD review (region 2)
Directed by Stewart Hendler
Starring Josh Holloway, Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael Rooker, Blake Woodruff, Joel Edgerton
Release date Out now

A quartet of criminals kidnap an eight-year-old boy in the hope of extracting a hefty ransom. But the boy seems to possess strange powers…

Lost actor Josh Holloway doesn’t step too far out of his comfort zone with this supernatural chiller about an eerie child. But don’t expect any polar bears or mysterious hatches here; after taking an eternity to get going, Whisper reveals itself to be an inferior Omen knock-off with a distinct absence of frights.

Although his kind-hearted criminal feels a little like Sawyer minus the wisecracks, Holloway gives a charismatic performance that suggests he could make a decent leading man given the right project. There’s dependable support from Rooker, Callies and Edgerton as his partners in crime, but sadly any potential scares are instantly killed by Blake Woodruff as the boy who turns the tables on his kidnappers. We're supposed to believe that this child is the embodiment of pure evil, but instead he comes across as the embodiment of pure smugness - it's no surprise to learn that Woodruff appeared in Cheaper By the Dozen, officially the smuggest movie ever made.

The plot, which also draws inspiration from films as diverse as The Shining and Ransom, unravels slowly and solemnly, but there's little that is clever or unexpected. Still, at least it’s better than The Omen remake.

No DVD extras. Matt McAllister

VERDICT: 4/10
Polished but instantly forgettable chiller.