White Noise

Review by Clint Morris

Not unlike a lumpy bed, Michael Keaton’s comeback film is, for the most part, quite snug and painless to get wrapped up in.

But in certain parts, you’ll become goaded by the bits that have separated from the main thread – adding nothing but pest to your experience – and deterring your goal of contentment.

When you are on its good side though, it can be quite satisfying.

No doubt inspired by the umpteen other supernatural horror pics that have been doing the rounds (The Ring, The Grudge, Boogeyman) and consequently making some bank, White Noise takes a fantastically original idea and, about half-way through, chucks it and replaces it with a predictable, old-hat second half that near kills the film.

Keaton – whose been slumming it in recent times, wasted with bit parts in films like tweeny comedy clunker First Daughter – plays a widower whose convinced his late wife is trying to contact him via EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena), a phenomenon that can see the living and dead communicate through the static on a radio or television set.

Naturally, our hero becomes so obsessed with communicating with his lost love via EVP, that he’s got the machines running non-stop 24-7 – leaving plenty of opportunity for other dead folks, namely creepy bad chaps, to touch base too.

First things first, White Noise is scary. Very scary. Thanks to some good plotting earlier on, some effective sound effects and believable acting, we really do believe what this guy’s seeing, hearing – and experiencing. It’s edge-of-the-seat stuff there for a while.

Then, just when we’re as involved in the story as possible, which, by the way, has just got quite interesting, the filmmakers throw originality out the window and rush to the finish line – simply ditching the storytelling elements they’d done such a great job of setting up, and wasting the rest of the reel with an old-hat good guy vs. bad guy copout. And in addition, forgetting to tie up all the loose ends from the film’s much more effective first half...

There’s a terrific movie wanting to get out here, but regrettably it’s an undercoat that’s smothered by a weak-as-diet cordial ending and a tip-tin of plot holes.

As it stands, it’s still entertaining, and quite scary, but White Noise blew it’s chances of being the finest horror film of the year when it decided to start filming before the second-half of the screenplay was even written.

Good to see Keaton back in the meaty lead though.

3 out of 5

White Noise
Australian release: Thursday 21st of April, 2005
Cast: Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West, Ian McNeice, Amber Rothwell.
Director: Geoffrey Sax.
Website: Click here.

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