The Voices

"Hearing voices can be murder."

2014 1h 44m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 1,964

ComedyCrimeHorrorFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A mentally unhinged factory worker must decide whether to listen to his talking cat and become a killer, or follow his dog's advice to keep striving for normalcy.

“Hearing voices can be murder.”

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Cast

Ryan Reynolds
Jerry Hickfang / Mr. Whiskers (voice) / Bosco (voice) / Deer (voice) / Bunny Monkey (voice)
Gemma Arterton
Fiona
Anna Kendrick
Lisa
Jacki Weaver
Dr. Warren
Ella Smith
Alison
Paul Chahidi
Dennis Kowalski
Stanley Townsend
Sheriff Weinbacher
Adi Shankar
John

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marjane Satrapi
Writers: Michael R. Perry
Languages: English
Countries: Germany, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 20% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marjane Satrapi, shot by Maxime Alexandre. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Olivier Bernet. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Stéphane Roche shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hearing voices can be murder.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marjane Satrapi directs. Maxime Alexandre behind the camera. Olivier Bernet scores. Stéphane Roche cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Germany, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 20% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 12 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, United States of America.
4Directed by Marjane Satrapi, shot by Maxime Alexandre. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Olivier Bernet. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Stéphane Roche shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton and Anna Kendrick carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Hearing voices can be murder.".
9IMDB entry: tt1567437 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Maxime Alexandre
Original score: Olivier Bernet
Editing: Stéphane Roche
Production design: Udo Kramer
Costume design: Bettina Helmi
Makeup / hair: Nathalie Tissier
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $11,000,000
Box office: $2,243,672
Return: 20% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Voices (2014)

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Marjane Satrapi

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Community reviews

What people are saying

mattwilde1232017-03-09
★ 8/10
'The Voices' is a very dark comedy from graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi. It tells the story of a man named Jerry (Ryan Reynolds) who works in a bathtub factory. Jerry continuously sees a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver) as he tries to live a normal life whilst dealing with his mental afflictions. He decides to pursue his office crush (Gemma Arterton) but soon finds himself in a murderous situation when she fails to reciprocate his advances. Jerry's schizophrenia means that he hears voices specifically from his pets who give him help and advice. Satrapi directs the piece with a surprisingly heartfelt and empathetic way. The lack of colour and light (such as when Jerry is on his limiting medication) contrast really well with the scenes where the main character is free and feels at peace. There are very graphic scenes of murder which highlight the brutality of his actions reminding the audience of the morality of Jerry's actions. The music is also very fitting and turns drastically into a horror-themed score when the drama switches. The screenplay is funny in a lot of places. Before I watched the film, I thought I would find similarities with HBO's 'Dexter' as it deals with a likeable killer whilst also being humorous. But, after watching, I feel that the film owes a lot to Mary Harron's 'American Psycho' as it shares similar themes of delusion and indulgence. However, the dialogue was a bit forced at times and I usually find myself cringing when watching a British actress (in this case Gemma Arterton) having to read lines written in a very stereotypical way. Ryan Reynolds is fantastic as the main character and really makes the audience feel for his character. Reynolds completely embodies the main character's innocence and is a genuinely nice man. Even more impressive is the fact that Reynolds also performs voices for his pets which include a Scottish cat and a Texan dog. I had a slight problem with other members of the cast who I felt were not quite up to the standard that Reynolds set although Jacki Weaver was great as his psychiatrist and Anna Kendrick did a good job at playing his love interest. Overall, I feel that 'The Voices' was a surprisingly good film. It was funny and very well acted. 'The Voices' is a little hidden gem that a lot of people who are fans of small and strange indie comedies would love. ★★★★
Narate2025-01-01
★ 7/10
"Being alone in the world is the root of all suffering." I appreciate that Ryan found his way to make blockbusters, but I would love to see him make a few more movies like this. It is funny, but dark, and some reveals that are pretty smart.