Internet Janitor
“No, you can’t watch Final Destination. We have Final Destination at home!”
“But mom, I don’t want to watch Whistle!. Why do you make us watch it? Is this why Dad left?
Immitation they say, is the greatest form of flatery and there have been more than a few for Final Destination. Yet, Whistle brings a unique, bland, emotionally detached spin to it that’s refreshing.
In our tale, we meet Chrys Willet (played by Dafne Keen from Logan, Deadpool and Wolverine), who has a tortured soul… which is so tortured guys, she has vinyl records and dresses like she enjoys 90’s grunge. She moves to a new town to live with relatives. Upon opening her locker for the first time, she discovers an ancient artifact. A whistle. She, after being immediately bullied by the jock and prom queen, joined their friend group because that’s what happens. During a pool party, she blows the whistle, which seals their fate bring about their ultimate deaths.
Oh, one of her teachers, Mr. Craven, is played by Nick Frost from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz because car payments are expensive.
It’s just bland as I really liked Dafne Keen in the Marvel films, but she has to facial expressions here. The majority of the film, she has a blank look on her face and haircuts that make me think the wardrobe department hated her. We really need to connect with the main character in movies like this, and it’s just impossible. No one except her housemate, Sky Yang (played by Rel Taylor from Whistle), is the least bit interesting.
The effects are largely terrible and undercut any effect of the deaths. With a few notable exceptions right towards the end of the film, which I have to admit were well done and effective. Also, while it is deeply influenced by Final Destination, there is a little glimmer of a twist to the deaths they fail miserably to explore.
There is just not enough lore behind the whistle. Perhaps something could have been done with it, but it’s just an excuse for the deaths. They even copy one of the ways characters in Final Destination have tried to cheat death.
The moral of the story is, don’t go putting your mouth on a dirty old whistle. It’s gross. That whistle doesn’t know where your mouths been.