The image of a lone student, traveling the inescapable corridors of a school after dark is quite haunting, her silhouette visible through the windows of the campus, as an unidentifiable force toys with the school's lighting. Is the young lady to blame, or is there something more sinister at work? This is just one scene from Voice, the fourth film in the Whispering Corridors franchise, where a spooky and disturbing ambiance is accompanied by not only visual terror, but sound, that proves to be as equally fear provoking. Despite darkness often becoming clichéd and annoying in some horror films to halter the audience from seeing the lead antagonist, here, the tactic is effectively used, the childhood fear of the dark returning to haunt adult audiences and characters alike, the impressive use of effects adding to the terror, making Voice the most visually stunning of this particular horror franchise.
The cover art on the American release of Voice, depicts a hand violently tearing its way out from a woman's mouth. Although there are more than a couple scenes with blood, much like its predecessors, this stand alone horror film does not depend on graphic violence to shock its audience. Additionally, much like the previous features, themes concerning friendship, love and jealousy are prominent, and like Memento Mori and Wishing Stairs, the story is also equipped with lesbianism.
Characters are intellectually portrayed, with emotional connections between characters and the audience been effectively constructed to build a poignant storyline. This is heightened, again, in contrast with Memento Mori, where the viewer is provided with a beautiful scene, which is later revealed to be sad or gruesome once it's put in perspective. Initially it can be difficult to ascertain where these flashbacks fit within the story, originally feeling like a continuation of the central plot.
Seon-min's (Ji-hye Seo) best friend Young-eon (Ok-Bin Kim), is the most talented singer in an all girl's high school, her voice delightfully serenading viewer's ears. One night, she stays behind after dark inside the confine's of the music room to work on her vocal capabilities, only to be murdered by an unrecognizable assailant. Her body is no where to be found the following morning, many suspecting her to simply be absent, though Seon-min thinks otherwise, her thoughts eventually been confirmed.
Unlike other ghost stories where specters can be viewed physically, only Young-eon's auditory capabilities remain, and though the audience can clearly see her character standing beside her best friend, Seon-min is only capable of hearing her voice. This uniquely entertaining prospect is accompanied by the focus on the ghost, Young-eon's perspective after becoming an apparition been as equally focused upon as the other central characters. Unable to leave the grounds of the high school, we discover that she is as equally vulnerable to fear in her current state, as she was when alive, this vulnerability been transferred onto the audience.
As the story continues, the mystery behind Young-eon's death is unraveled, as Seon-min, alongside fellow student Cho-ah (Ye-ryeon Cha) investigate who killed her from the list of suspects, and why. By the end of the feature, some questions remain unanswered, but unlike other Whispering Corridors films, this doesn't always feel like a deliberate tactic, as much as it does an overlooked plot point. Sometimes shocking, sometimes surprising, and often unpredictable, Voice dares to ask its viewers, even in death, do we truly know who we are?
