Whistle, which opens in theaters on Friday, February 6, follows Chrys (Dafne Keen), who moves to her cousin Rel’s (Sky Yang) house after a tragedy and attends a new school. She makes a new group of friends and falls in love with a girl named Ellie (Sophie Nélisse). The kids discover an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down. Will they be able to survive.

Whistle is a good film that has a compelling and engaging story that keeps you interested throughout. One thing I really liked about this film is that it wasn’t just a horror movie; a big theme of the plot was romance and the relationships between the characters, which made the story feel more emotional and realistic. Especially since one of the characters is in love with a girl who is dating someone else, and everyone is aware of his feelings for her.

The relationship between Chrys and Ellie adds depth to the film and makes the danger feel more intense because you care about what happens to them. Keen and Nelisse have beautiful chemistry together and bond well. I also liked how Ellie became more badass after meeting Chrys.

Whistle also includes some comedic moments throughout that I thought were clever. The film also has some strong set pieces and effective costume designs for the outfits and shoes that help create a great atmosphere. The death scenes were very creative and quite brutal, which made the horror elements more shocking and memorable. The group of Teens all fit the story well, and you become emotionally invested in many of them, which makes it even sadder when some of them die. I thought the major maze-chase scene built a lot of tension, and you genuinely couldn’t tell what was going to happen next. Another thing I liked about the group is that, although some characters are less likeable than others, none of them are outright bullies, which makes them feel more realistic and easier to care about. 

Unfortunately, the film did have a few small issues that took away slightly from the overall experience. Some of the ways people died in the future were not fully explained.  I also felt that Ellie seemed to care more about Rel, Chrys’ cousin, than Chrys did herself. This was surprising, as Chrys was his family. However, this could also be intentional and may actually fit with Chrys’s character and personality.

Overall, Whistle is a great and unique film with a fantastic cast who all give wonderful performances. I really enjoyed the characters and the story, which made me wish that some of them hadn’t died. While I would have liked the film to explain one of the deaths a bit better, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. I found the film very entertaining from start to finish, and it also sets itself up nicely for a sequel. If a sequel does happen, I really hope the characters from the first film return, as I’d love to see their stories continue!