Christopher Crowe was a director who really intrigued me, where I loved Saigon, with all that original great dialogue, if only with all that self consciousness that hampered it. Amazingly here, this psychological thriller, is constructed all the same way with those red herrings, and the guy suiciding, case closed, killer dead, two thirds of the way through. Only again, annoyingly it bites us in the ass, where our jumper wasn't the killer. Quite annoyingly here, I'm saying for those who have seen Saigon. Like that one, I really find this one entertaining as f..k too. WITD which missed a cinema run, is only heightened by it's really good and surprising performances, though Hawkeye's Alda was obviously miscast, flat, where Paglia is fun as a dubious and nosey detective, with a lot of issues. Sciorra (Internal Affairs) is really good as a New York psychiatrist, plagued by this recurring dream previewed throughout the balsy sexy opening, played against a beautiful mellow romantic score, where two nude figures, who remain faceless, are fornicating. She entrusts old family friend/psychiatrist, Leo (the plain banal Alda) who has more on his mind than psychiatry, while also getting off on a beautiful female patient's story, where later, this poor girl becomes the murder victim. By this time, Sciorra has become a prime murder suspect, as having, taken up an affair with the victim's ex, an avid pilot (Jamie Sheridan) a real likable performance. Not only that, the late victim, had stolen some of her files which makes for some juicy reading. Another big suspect is one of her patients (Leguizamo) as a troubled artist, with a known history for sexually abusing and battering woman, where we see first hand, some frank photos. This is the sleaze element of the film, but it doesn't mar that at all, as it's down in style. I don't know why, but I really find this film an entertaining watch, as a viewing it several times. As for violence inferred, apart from the sexual, there's hardly any blood letting, some shown in lesser or no detail, like in long shots. A guilty fun moment is the end, and leading up to that where the sick f..k killer, who I never picked in my first viewing, reveals himself. I always thought it was stupid though to leave those incriminating out in the open and not locked up. There's a lot of interesting and different touches as to characters, occupations, and their troubles. Deborah Kara Unger is hot too, in her sexy confronting disrobe, while great character actor Anthony 'Doctor Chilton' appears in a limited number of scenes, as Sciorra's old self centered, if pathetic, boyfriend. WITD is a 'with' it 90's sexual psychological thriller drama, with style. It has an interesting script, and obviously deserves much more credit than it's given, as well as being a respected thriller/drama.
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videorama-759-85939113 June 2017
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gridoon10 April 2001A pretty standard mystery thriller, but absorbing nonetheless. The sometimes impossibly contrived plot is chock-full of strange coincidences and red herrings, but the film is so competently and professionally made that you can ignore the script's weaknesses and enjoy the work of a director who seems to have a genuine feel for the genre. Most of the performances are also very good, giving weight to their roles and making the movie more respectable. (**1/2)
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raulfaust27 October 2011Wow, who'd thought it. A 90's underground thriller with unknown cast and title; nobody would expect a big thing out of it. But that's when we're wrong.
This film is hugely entertaining; the story develops very quickly and intensely, the writer/director is really professional on how to get the spectator. The story is original and unpredictable, you never know what is gonna happen next. The outcome is the most impossible to guess, I really doubt anyone can find it out before the last 15 minutes. The whole thing is similar to "Never Talk To Strangers", both have a great twist in the end. It's really such a shame that there aren't even 1000 voters on this title's page, this film deserved to be much more recognized. See it if you like an intense suspense!
Edit: I have to complaint about Brazilian's title. They translated it to something like "Whispers of Pleasure", and I saved this film on my television after it was on a cable channel. My parents saw it's title and surely thought I recorded some kind of porn, when actually it was just a thriller. -
eflegal-113 March 2009(Spoilers) I have to agree with all the negative analysis posted already. Saw this movie on cable last night and it was disappointing (but hey I watched the whole thing).
First, it was obvious Alan Alda would be the killer. He was too interested in the psychiatrist and kept meddling in her life. But like every transition in this film, he was revealed in a totally heavy handed way. And how believable is it that he was totally obsessed with her for years, was killing people to protect her, and then when she says he is frightening her that is enough for him to instantly snap and try to kill her on the spot in a rage? Boy he sure got over that crush in a hurry! After committing all these clever crimes he admits to the murders in front of his wife and immediately smashes a wine bottle over her head. How was he going to deal with that? Also, she was such a poor psychiatrist, the best she could do was immediately reveal her revulsion and run away in fear? Not an ounce of cleverness in dealing with an obvious psycho who she knew was in love with her and who she could have manipulated.
The way she discovers he is obsessed with her! He tells her to go in the music cabinet to put on a song and there he has his audio notes of all his sessions with her neatly labeled so that she, his wife, anyone, can pick it up and hear him saying he is obsessed with her. The tapes themselves were as corny and unbelievable as his coming back home and just hearing her playing them at full volume.
When I say disjointed, the quirks of the detective, the female patient, the boyfriend are never explored they were just weird characters who didn't really fit in the movie. Were we supposed to care about Paglia's detective? Was he attracted to her? All of a sudden we're watching a troubled cop movie (briefly) as if this were a different movie.
After Leguizamo obviously thought it was her behind the mirror (Paglia absurdly keeps showing her pictures through the glass and asking her rhetorical questions about psychoanalysis) they just let him go and surprise surprise, he next appears at her place to take revenge. And no one saw that coming? Then we have Leguizamo who has spent his life torturing women, has her tied up and he cant do a thing to her, suddenly we are supposed to sympathize with his troubled character and of course she is completely worried about a psycho who moments ago hog tied her.
This is the kind of film that is so cheesy, so illogical, so obvious you really wish they would give you all these stars and a budget and let you make the film because yes most people would have insisted on doing a better job. This was a real waste of potential.
Parting shot, the closing scene of her so happy with the boyfriend as if this were a happy ending to a romantic comedy, trivial fake conversation between two people with no chemistry, didn't even need to be in the film. The boyfriend wasn't an appealing character, was too old for her, and it was like saying hey if this movie wasn't corny enough, let's make you watch several minutes more of something pointless between two people who were never believable in their parts. -
Entertaining story. But hopefully it's not indicative of the world of psychiatry. Some real on-the-edge folks here. Even the police lieutenant is a ripe candidate for analysis - though to judge from the film you wonder if analysis accomplishes anything useful.
For the most part good acting work put in by a first rate cast. Leave the analyzing to the movie and enjoy the ride. -
cmaltezos24 June 2007I agree with the comment that the ending of this movie is hilarious, unintentionally, of course. This is one of those films that is so bad that it is good because of its stupidity. The mystery isn't that mysterious and the sexual aspect of the story goes nowhere. Annabella Sciorra's character does the usual ridiculous things common in suspense films and its really hard to identify with her character because the screenplay has her come off as whiny rather than a professional therapist. If the film would have explored its sexual underlying theme and why Sciorra's patients act the way they do, then we in the audience would care why they are being killed. In addition, make Sciorra a feisty and intelligent therapist rather than one who trusts the wrong people then mopes later. But again,as stated before in a previous comment. Hold on to your hats for the over-the-top hoot of an ending. It is funny, ridiculous and pathetic all at the same time. This is right up there with Besty Palmer as Mrs Voorhees (Friday The 13th) as the funniest ending of a suspense/horror flick ever. Invite your friends, tell them its a comedy, because it really is!
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ccthemovieman-113 September 2006This turned out to be a very sleazy movie. Everybody but Annabella Sciorra's character ("Ann Hecker") talks and acts like a pig. Actually, "Hecker" isn't of the highest character, herself, but at least she doesn't talk like trash. Too bad veterans actors Alan Alda and Jill Clayburgh have to join the sleaze crowd, although the latter certainly was no angel in her 1970s films. Anthony LaPaglia was ridiculously profane but that was normal for his movie characters. He only settled down in recent years when he began starring a television show.
Despite the gutter mentality of this story (it isn't just the language), the movie zips along after a slow start and kept your attention. However, it isn't anything memorable, nor recommended.
This was a different look for Sciorra: no New York City accent and a different hairstyle. I almost didn't know it was her. Jamey Sheridan, who now contributes to the hit TV show, "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," also stars, as does the always-strange John Leguizamo. -
drownsoda9015 January 2022"Whispers in the Dark" follows a New York psychiatrist (Annabella Sciorra) who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery after one of her troubled patients, Eva (Deborah Unger) is killed mysteriously.
One of the many erotic thrillers spurred by the early '90s, "Whispers in the Dark" is a fairly deflated attempt at that subgenre which succeeds in some regards but probably fails in more. The screenplay has some decent raw ideas, though it does not really reach the boiling point that it should in the last act.
One of the biggest problems with the film is its uninspired performances. There are good, even great actors here, but most of them seem disconnected from the material, and the vast majority of the performances are limp and lifeless--even Annabella Sciorra, Alan Arkin, and Jill Clayburgh seem bored, and Jamey Sheridan is especially awful as the male lead. Anthony LaPaglia is somewhat memorable as the aggressive detective, but he is given very little to do. The two standouts here are Deborah Unger, who truly steals the show, and John Leguizamo, each appearing in early performances in their respective careers as Sciorra's disturbed patients. Their performances make the film worth seeing. Everyone else... not so much.
Uninspired acting aside, there is some fun to be had here for those who have a nostalgia for early-'90s thrillers. Despite its faults, I will admit the film is reasonably entertaining, but it must be taken entirely on its own terms. It is not extreme enough to have a campy appeal, nor do the stakes ever feel high enough for the audience to really take it all that seriously. All in all, this is a fairly lukewarm thriller. It is not terrible, but it is certainly undistinguished among its peers. Watch it for Unger and Leguizamo. 6/10. -
cmounce121 January 2006Lots of big name actors. My cable preview only listed the shrink and her lover. A very young John Leguzamo had a very good part. It was rather suspenseful at the beginning but quickly became kind of trite. The kind where I kiddingly say to my husband "You didn't know I wrote this screenplay did you?" (Because we guess what is going to happen) Just a couple of twists I didn't figure out ahead of time.
This is worth watching just for the ending, it is rather laughable. Nice to see Annabella Sciorra not flinging meat at the back of anybodies head like she did in the "Sopranos"!! And where have I seen her lover before? Looks like he played on a cop show. -
sol121826 May 2006(There are Spoilers) Psychological thriller that takes a while to unwind with young 27 year-old psychiatrist Ann Hacker,Annabella Sciorra,getting involved with one of her patients Eva Abergray, Deborah Kara Unger,lovers. We find out early in the movie that Ann herself had been under psychiatric care when she was in college by her professor and good friend Leo Green, Alan Alda, after her fathers suicide. Leo and his wife Sara, Jill Clayberg, are always around and helpful to Ann who seems to need more therapy then any of her patients in the film.
Trying to help Eva overcome her wild and kinky sexual fantasies and obsessions, that tended to be very destructive and S&M-like, Ann decides to see Eva at the Tavern on the Green restaurant where she told her that she meets her lover every Wednesday. Ann is both shocked and flabbergasted to find out that he's her new boyfriend the aw shucks and boyish country boy, he originally comes from a small town in Iowa, fly-boy Doug McDowell, Jamey Sheridan.
When Eva finds out that her doctor Ann Hecker, who she was very open with, was secretly having an affair with her lover Doug she blew her stack and made a scene in the lobby of the office building where Ann had her practice that left Ann & Doug feeling a bit embarrassed. The worse was yet to come when Eva is found hanged in her apartment by Ann, who came over to apologize, the very next day.
The movie then goes into the whereabouts and actions of another of Ann's patients John Boy Costillo ,John Leguizamo, a prime suspect in Eve's death. John Boy who after having a long record of beating up and abusing women became a well known inner city artist due to Ann's professional help in having John Boy overcome his violent nature.
John Boy is taken into custody by Det. Morgenstern, Anthony LaPaglia, who works him over with Ann present ,on the other side of a two-way mirror, who then leaves in disgust in what Morganstern did to her sweet and sensitive patient. John Boy, who feels that Ann betrayed him to the police, pays Ann a visit the next evening tying her up and threatening to burn Ann with cigarette butts. It not long afterword that John Boy suddenly loses it and jumps on the window ledge loudly proclaiming his innocent to Ann and the whole world in Eva murder. With the police being called to get the disturbed and hysterical John Boy off the window ledge he slips and, with Det. Morganstern trying to pull him in, falls to his death.
You would think that Eva's murder was finally solved with John Boy's, the only suspect in her murder, death but it later comes out that John Boy's alibi, on where he was the day that Eva was killed, checked out! This causes Det. Morganstern to hit the bottle and drink himself silly. But there was a major clue that the police and Ann overlooked and it had to do with a tape that was recorder by Leo Green, when he was treating Ann for depression, some seven years ago. That clue turned out to be the key to who not only killed Eva but would later murder Det. Morgenstern when he was getting too close to the truth.
The movie "Whispers in the Dark" kept you guessing to who the killer was and when he finally revealed himself his actions were so eerily slow and psychotic that it took you a while, like Ann, to realize that he was at all capable of committing the sick and murderous acts that he did in the film. The ending was a bit too hard to take with Ann, who was anything but a match for this crazed and uncontrollable psycho, being able not only to outrun but also, when cornered, fight and finish him off after getting an ice pick stuck in her leg. -
highwaytourist25 September 2008This is a tacky, low-grade mystery film that is far better acted than most of its kind. It's about a lady psychiatrist with some really messed-up patients who gets caught up in a murder mystery when one patient becomes a suspect. Nearly all of the characters in this story are serious head cases. One hopes no major city has a preponderance of people like that. A lot of twists and turns occur in the story. A few of them are compelling, most of them improbable. Some genuinely talented actors were rounded up to appear in this film. Largely as a result, the film is watchable, but it's just as miss-able. Only die hard fans of murder mysteries will enjoy this film.
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ScottyB3 January 1999I'm glad I stayed up to watch this one - I'd actually turned on the television to watch the previous movie that night and fortunately decided to keep on the same channel. I wasn't familiar with any of the cast before this movie, but the script was well written and the actors portrayed all the characters well.
This is definitely a movie where you have to keep your brain switched on to "thinking" mode to enjoy properly. Hardly surprising when almost all the characters are psychiatrists, detectives or patients on the therapists couch. The main theme of the movie is what happens when love is blind and you trust your instincts rather than the sober voices of friends around you. In a rather chilling twist, you are also made to consider just how much you should trust your friends who may have their own ulterior motives behind their apparent concern.
I along with, I imagine, most people watching this movie had the ending all figured out in my head - or so I thought until one of the best twists I can think of in a thriller - and was just waiting to see how and when they were going to prove me correct. I was, of course, completely wrong and a dramatic turn of events towards the end made this a thoroughly enjoyable movie which left me analysing the analysts long after the final credits had rolled. For those who enjoy this genre, I would highly recommend "Whispers In The Dark". I rated it at 8 out of 10 after one viewing, although I may have to watch again to decide if I should have rated it a 9. Definitely worth a night in. -
Earth to whomever? This movie is fiction. Like fiction on the silver screen, TV, or a book, it is not meant to educate. It is meant to entertain. Anyone failing to grasp this fundamental truth should not rent this movie or watch TV or watch 99% of the movies ever made. They should, instead, watch documentaries.
Of course the killer is obvious from the beginning. He and the other actors turn in average (at best) performances.
Annabella Sciorra was 28 when this movie was made. She was a good choice for an entertaining movie. Yes, she would "supernova" in The Hand That Rocks The Cradle when compared to this movie. Yet that means not that her performance was poor; indeed, she shines in Whispers In The Dark.
Overall it is an enjoyable movie for those that realize that fiction is almost always predictable when it appears in a movie.
It entertains, and that is what it should do. -
jimmyswanka4 February 2006This movie is proof that the ending of a movie can ruin the rest. Not that the rest was great, but the ending of this movie was completely ridiculous. The story seemed to be going somewhere mildly interesting, but the filmmakers decided that they should risk it all to make sure no one could figure out the ending. It seemed as though the writers were not pleased with the direction of the story with about a third of the movie left and threw the curve-ball of Alan Alda. The scene at the dinner table, where he comically hits his wife in the face with a bottle was received with a chorus of laughter in the theater. It was all made better by the shot of Alan getting his skull punctured. One of the worst movies I have ever seen.
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Bishonen19 November 1999This is actually a rather dull film for the most part---the red herrings are preposterous and uninteresting and the sexuality never goes beyond cheap titillation. It hints at more interesting things and nine times out of ten it punks out at exploring those intriguing themes, going for the cheap thrill every opportunity. And it's not that thrilling, period.
But the ending is amazing. It kept me laughing for weeks after I'd seen the movie. So ludicrous and out of nowhere it comes off like a bad joke, or incomparable idiocy. It still makes me giggle every time I think about it. I can barely type right now.
See this movie for the last thirty minutes. It's worth it. -
Pat-11824 June 1999I saw this movie about 2 years ago expecting an erotic thriller. What I got was Alan Alda, who is only believable as Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H , wasting his talent along with John Leguizamo and others on CRAP!! This movie made no sense at all.. I urge anyone who was thinking of seeing this movie NOT to waste the 3 dollar rental fee.
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SnoopyStyle2 February 2015Psychiatrist Ann Hecker (Annabella Sciorra) has two particular patients; artist John Castillo (John Leguizamo) and sexually adventurous Eve Abergray (Deborah Kara Unger). Sarah Green (Jill Clayburgh) and her husband Leo (Alan Alda) are her colleagues. She's Leo's patient since 7 years ago as a medical student. She wants to break up with her boyfriend Paul (Anthony Heald) but he beats her to the punch by moving out. She goes out with new guy pilot Doug McDowell (Jamey Sheridan). She goes to spy on Eve and find Eve's S&M boyfriend turns out to be Doug. Eve explodes after discovering her relationship with Doug. Eve steals her files and then she finds Eve murdered. Police detective Larry Morgenstern (Anthony LaPaglia) investigates.
It's an erotic thriller that tries too hard with the cheesy eroticism. It's slow moody music with fuzzy sex dreams. The whole thing moves like molasses. Christopher Crowe is not as good as a director. It doesn't have enough tension. The subject matter is intense and should translate better onto the screen. The movie turns into a nice murder mystery midway through. It gets better going away from the silly eroticism turning into a twisty mystery. There is probably one too many twist but that seems like it was setting up that move from the start. Sciorra's role has some juicier acting choices later on. It's too bad that the first half is so tired. -
nycritic18 June 2006If only the role Annabella Sciorra played hadn't been given the profession of a shrink, then her role in this awful, quasi-erotic thriller in the vein of BASIC INSTINCT would have had a more engaging approach. But shrinks getting themselves into a lot of unwanted heat and possibly even death by some unpleasant way was the raison d'etre of many "thrillers" capitalizing on the success of Paul Verhoeven's smash hit between 1992 and 1994, respectively, and this was one of the worst of the bunch.
The premise isn't bad. Actually, it's a distant relative in its elements to the premise of Anais Nin's "Spy in the House of Love" and in Marguerite Duras' "Moderato Cantabile", just with an update to bring a strong sensibility to the erotic mores of the times and the necessary potboiler plot that looked like something Joan Crawford could do in her sleep in the mid-Fifties when her career consisted of women falling for the wrong guy and being in mortal harm from their ulterior motives and unpredictable mood swings.
The problem herein lies not in the story itself but in the mode of execution. The introduction of the thriller mode in which a troubled woman is killed had been done with better success. If not, all one needs to do is take a peek at DRESSED TO KILL where Angie Dickinson's character, in looking for sex with a stranger, found quite a wallop but of something nastier in the place she least expected, and from the last person on Earth whom she would have guessed capable of such a thing.
The key phrase is "the last person on Earth ... capable of such a thing." It's a problem for thrillers because it sets up the viewer for a "surprise" which may or may not work. I don't like surprises, when it involves a character revealing him or herself to be the baddie all along and doing their own impression of a Jack-in-the-box, complete with a "Gotcha!" moment. It's too easy, it's the oldest trick in the book ("Maybe... the butler did it," quoted a certain butler from Robert Altman's nearly flawless 2001 movie GOSFORD PARK, but with a wink in the eye), and one that even a movie as exploitative as BASIC INSTINCT was knowingly playing on as bait with its tongue firmly planted in cheek.
No. I don't care for those surprises. It's what made me deny ever going to M. Night Shyamalan movies once it became patent and not actual cleverness in action. I want something more textured, a person's reaction to another person's dysfunction which may or may not have a conclusion, and even if there is the subject matter of a killer on the loose... why not play it up for the hell of it and perhaps let the story surprise the creator, and ultimately, the viewer? It's too bad. WHISPERS IN THE BARK, a title closest to romantic-suspense of the Avon category, falls apart at the seams and reveals it was a poorly built structure all along. Not a single performance can save this movie, and what the hell is Jill Clayburgh doing here of all places? Where did her career go, for crying out loud? -
claudio_carvalho19 October 2023In New York, the psychiatrist Ann Hecker (Annabella Sciorra) has her office in the Fifth Avenue and is treating the artist John Castillo (John Leguizamo), who has violent sexual desires, and the gallery owner Eve Abergray (Deborah Unger), who loves to make kinky sex with her lover. Her best friends are the lawyer Sarah Green (Jill Clayburgh) and her husband Leo Green (Alan Alda), who was a former professor and mentor of Ann and now is Ann's psychoanalyst. When Ann meets the pilot Doug McDowell (Jamey Sheridan), she dates him and falls in love with him. But soon she learns that Doug is the mysterious lover of Eve. When she discover Ann's affair with Doug, Eve goes haywire, breaks into Ann's office and steals several tapes of her clients. Ann tells to Sarah and Leo and they hire a lawyer to Ann. She decides to meet Eve to recover her tapes and when Ann arrives at Eve's house, she finds her client hanged and dead. Now the abusive NYPD detective Larry Morgenstern (Anthony LaPaglia) investigate the murder case and suspects of Doug and John.
"Whispers in the Dark" is still a great and erotic thriller from 1992. Annabella Sciorra and Deborah Unger were beautiful women in the 90's and they two make the erotic scenes work very well. The plot has man twists and a surprising conclusion, when the identity of the killer and his motives are disclosed. Unfortunately, this movie was only released on VHS in Brazil with a ridiculous title. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Gemidos de Prazer" ("Groans of Pleasure") -
lindsaykeaton22 January 2022Whispers in the Dark has been mostly forgotten as far as early 90's erotic thrillers are concerned and some of that is for good reason. While the concept is strong and the actors are great (Annabella Sciorra and Deborah Unger being the standouts), the film's pacing ebbs and flows a bit too much and the film is never as sexy as it wants to be.
It is memorable for it's completely off the wall last act which turns what has been a fairly down to earth thriller into something that wouldn't be out of place in a teenage slasher film with wine bottles smashed over people's heads and seaside chases with gardening instruments. -
romanorum131 March 2016On the silver screen, psychological mystery thrillers – kinky or otherwise, whether major studio or independent – have always been popular, and the early-to-mid 1990s produced more than their fair share. For example, recognize the following: "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), "Basic Instinct" (1992), "Jennifer Eight" (1992), "Sliver" (1993), "Color of Night" (1994), "Knight Moves" (1995), and "Copycat" (1995).
In "Whispers in the Dark," Ann Hecker (Annabella Sciorra), who is ending her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Paul, practices as a psychiatrist in Manhattan. She is told by one of her patients, Eve Abergray (Deborah Unger) – attractive but sexually perverted – about her sexual sado-masochistic/bondage practices with her boyfriend. Ann seems to take it all in with high interest. As Ann seems turned on by her own dreams of sexual bondage, she consults with her former therapist (when she attended college) and friend Leo Green (Alan Alda). Another of Ann's patients, Latino Johnny Castillo (John Leguizano), a sadist, likes to paint sexual fantasies (as opposed to acting them out). Both Eve and Johnny are unbalanced, to say the least, and Ann does not seem to have solutions. On one of the office visits, Eve removes most of her clothing and masturbates in front of Ann. The bewildered psychiatrist can only ogle. Later on Johnny C. breaks into Ann's apartment and hogties her for a short time before freeing her and jumping outside her window ledge. Talk about being just a bit troubled!
One day Ann sees airplane pilot Doug McDowell (Jamey Sheridan) on the elevator in her office building. Before long the two are dating, but Doug has some dark secrets. One of these is that he is Eve's sexual partner in bondage! When Eve discovers that Ann is dating Doug, she becomes intractable; she steals some files and tapes from Ann's office that she plans to use against the psychiatrist. When Eve is found dead, hanging nude, Ann's suspicions focus on Doug. Enter Detective Larry Morgenstern (Anthony LaPaglia). Morgenstern tries to get Ann to release her office files to him, but Ann will not agree. Nevertheless, Morgenstern is insistent and dogs Ann at every turn. He tells her that he has found the tapes that Eve had stolen. "Those tapes are my property. I'd like them back," she demands. "No! Material evidence in a murder investigation," sneers Morgenstern.
After Johnny C. falls from the window ledge to his death, Ann seeks solace with Leo Green, as she did not realize that the sadistically deranged artist had previously tortured many women. "Oh come on," retorts Leo, "a bright psychopath can fool anybody." What! Later this line will make some sense. When Doug takes Ann to visit his mother, Mrs. McDowell, she tells Ann that Doug was once married. His wife Jenny hanged herself after sustaining severe depression. Doug admits that there was violence in the marriage: Jenny attacked him because of his affair with another. Shocked, Ann confides this information to Leo, who in turns relays it to Morgenstern. Ann is disappointed in Leo's action. Before that, Morgenstern had told Ann that as Johnny C.'s alibi checked out with regard to Eve's death, the unhinged artist could not have killed her. Right after Morgenstern is found dead in the airplane hangar of McDowell Aviation. Suspicions continue to focus on Doug. Meanwhile Ann has returned to get solace from Leo and his wife at the Nantucket seashore. There is no reason to expose the last one-fifth of the feature and major twist to the movie. But it can be stated confidentially that there is one turn too many.
The main charters here – psychiatrists, patients, and police – are not particularly likable. But the movie features excellent performances by Alan Alda, Anthony La Paglia (the Italian Aussie), and Deborah Unger; Annabella Sciorra is good enough. Jamey Sheridan is hardly appealing: note his large head. Actually his character is quite dubious. The Manhattan camera-shooting is not really used to any specific advantage; there is an aerial shot of Nantucket. Although panned by critics, the feature is still nicely filmed and is attention-getting despite some script weaknesses and a ludicrous double-twisted ending. Just watch it for its entertainment value. -
triple829 April 2004There is very little I can add to many of these reviews, criticisms all valid, cheese factor noted and agreed with by this IMDb user. The only thing I will say about this thriller from my past is that 1) I really liked Alan Alda in this and 2)I think this movie reaches on over into the "maybe for the camp value" genre. I read another user's reference to Final analysis which came out around the same time-I actually really dug that one, I rate analysis about an 8.5. I can note similarities in the plot but their basically 2 different movies. Analysis is more eerie, this is campy at times(many times) and very tawdry-I do recall wanting to see it when it first came out and being a bit let down when I did-Was this a book too? I seem to dimly recall that it was, but could be wrong,I'll have to look that up. But this isn't really that much different then a lot of lifetime movies and even some thrillers that have been out this last year and done decent.
If you go into this knowing it's pure camp and there's no reality whatsoever to it and there's' a lot of twists that can only happen BECAUSE it's a movie, you might enjoy it. I will admit I didn't guess the end "twist" which all of the watchers of this movie except for I seemed to have known before or shortly after, the movie started, so that's a bit alarming but hey I did guess the twists in other more popular movies so that's a good thing.
Basically, this is entertainment and not memorable entertainment either. I wouldn't put it in the IMDb worst movie list but all individuals' negative comments can be understood. Still think Alda was a standout in this though. 4 or 5 out of 10 from me but way higher for Alda. -
GOWBTW22 June 2018If you have seen New York themed movies that are enthralling, "Marathon Man" was suspenseful, but "Whispers in the Dark", is erotic and enthralling at the same time. Here you have a psychiatrist(Annabella Sciorra) who is having dreams of her own while she tends to her clients. She would meet Doug(Jamey Sheridan) who is a pilot. One of the clients, Eve(Deborah Unger) explain explicitly about her dreams to her. In one of the sessions, Eve would strip down and nearly exposes herself to the doctor. Very raw there. At the lunch scene, Dr. Ann Hecker discovered that Doug was also Eve's other lover. Dr. Hecker has a shrink, Dr. Green(Alan Alda). He has been with her since she was in medical school. He has helped her out in many ways, only to find out that he is a questionable reputation. I don't know why this movie was cut down. Some parts were on the obvious side, other than that, I enjoyed it very much. Not the best movie, but not the worst. It has a great cast though. Very watchable 2 out of 5 stars
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inkblot1112 April 2024Dr Ann - Annabella Sciorra - is a shrink with a varied practice. A beautiful female patient is visiting twice a week because of her boyfriends sexual demands. In increasing fashion, he wants to have sex in unusual places, often with her wrists tied. The patient is enjoying these episodes yet is frightened, too. Dr Ann is not sure how to guide her but is intrigued as well. Ann's breaking up with her current boyfriend and takes solace in longtime friend and mentor, Leo - Alan Alda. Then, Ann meets an attractive man named Doug who excites her very much. She is stunned to learn, by happenstance, that his first wife killed herself. Then, her beautiful patient also commits suicide. Morever, Doug may be the same guy who was romancing her, too. Is Ann in danger ? This is a sleazy thriller with sex and twisted deaths. Yes, Sciorra is beautiful and the supporting cast quite fine. But, the plot elements left a sour impression on this viewer. You decide if its worth a look.
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(1992) Whispers In The Dark ADULT MYSTERY THRILLER
Great first hour, but after the first so-called murder happen, it goes to ridiculous territory. Co-written and directed by Christopher Crowe that has shrink, Ann (Annabella Sciorra) with only two patients start to get turned on by her female patient eve played by Deborah Unger verbal expression of S&M or that she start to get consistent dreams about them. She expresses this issue with former colleague Doug played by Alan Alda. Anthony LaPaglia also stars as Homicide investigator cop Larry Morgenstern is a really big joke since he's taking liberties that is not proper police protocol. This movie is not even erotic as it's adult stuff is only verbally described with some hard to make out and dark re-enactments. Jill Clayburgh also stars as Leo's wife, and John Leguizamo plays one her dysfunctional patients as John.