SerenityVerse

White Noise: The Light Review

November 12th, 2007 Posted in Nathan Fillion, Related Movies and TV

Nathan is back in theaters with the paranormal horror film White Noise: the Light. The story focuses around a man (Fillion) who tries to kill himself after the tragic death of his family.About the film, Nathan explains, “What happens in White Noise 2 is that, due to a tragic, tragic event, my wife and son are murdered in front of me. I get so depressed that I commit suicide. But I’m brought back after that near death experience. I’ve seen the white light, I’ve seen my family and then I’m pulled back. After that, I find I have the ability to, in a crowd of people, see who’s going to die. They glow white. I’ll see a trail towards people marked for death. Here’s this man who felt so helpless and foolish that he didn’t react sooner to save his wife and son…here he is trying to redeem himself.”

Since this is already a fan-biased review, I will admit to another bias: I despise horror movies. I have voluntarily watched only two of them in my life: Slither and White Noise: The Light. Fortunately, WNTL does not seek to horrify the viewer. For all its supernatural elements, the story told is a human one and while ultimately sad, it carries with it a beauty and tenderness that I wouldn’t expect to find in a movie of this genre.

WNTL is not inherently frightening; some might level that as a criticism, but to me that is a very good thing. The supernatural element, images of dead people, and some startling sound effects plant it in the horror category, but the film itself is not horrific. It lets human drama (admittedly that of the supernatural kind) move the viewer rather than resorting to cheap horrors. Instead, it builds suspense the better and more difficult way: by setting up characters you care about and setting them on the road to a conclusion you earnestly hope they can avoid.

Katee Sackhoff plays a plucky nurse who treats Abe when he wakes up in the hospital after his near-death experience. Circumstances throw the two back together, and they form an endearing and believable relationship.

Nobody plays tormented men better than happy, easygoing Fillion, and he proves it yet again through many heart-wrenching scenes. He looks in the mirror with such bravely vulnerable sadness at one point that you simply can’t help loving and feeling for Abe.

When asked about his character, Nathan said, “He’s a more vulnerable character than I’ve ever played before. He’s just a man; he’s not a soldier. He’s a Web designer, not a hero.”

One of the special things about Nathan is his ability to react in ways that are unique, but impeccably human. When his character’s car is suddenly surrounded by zombie-like ghosts, he doesn’t gasp, scream, throw his hands up, jump, or follow any such movie-character conventions. He yells “Jes-” and squirms in his seat. It’s such a different and believable reaction that you actually relate; you can see yourself doing exactly that.

I remember one message board post (about Fillion’s performance in Serenity) commenting that even his Adam’s apple conveys emotion. Well, when he hugs Katee’s character during one emotional moment, his face is not even visible: the depth of his feelings is shown with utmost clarity by the telltale waver of his hand.

This is Nathan’s movie; It’s a rare scene that Fillion isn’t in, as a matter of fact. Nathan’s acting is beautiful, and so is he. There is a hilarious and unmistakable reference to Firefly that had me grinning my little Mal-adoring browncoated heart out. Well played, and thank you. That was fun.

Abe is a very good man: a loving husband and father, a decent and understanding soul, and a brave protector. You want him to do well, therefore the film’s premise is inherently sad. Abe’s good deeds have unforeseen consequences, and if there is something I don’t like about the film, it’s the anti-heroic ethic.

The concept that one should not play God is one I can agree with; the concept that a good and decent man should be given the ability to save lives only later to discover devastating consequences I find profoundly unfair. It blames a good man for things done with only the best of intentions.

That’s an aspect I can nudge myself into overlooking, though. The film’s strength is not in its details of plot, but in its emotion and storytelling. Nathan and his costar Katee Sackhoff have lovely on-screen chemistry, and Nathan’s brooding, emotional performance will touch your heart. In fact, WN:TL reminds me a bit of Firefly in its ability to establish in the viewer a genuine caring for the characters.

The climactic scenes are remarkable not for their horror, but for their sadness and love. There is a gentle beauty to the final scenes that makes the whole film worthwhile. The conclusion of the story is a worthy one (Although I’m not so happy about the final few seconds) and well handled.

WNTL is a skillfully crafted and beautifully acted story. Perhaps not one I would ultimately choose to tell, but one I can nod to with respect and say, “well done, friends.”

The verdict? Fans should run out and buy it. Right now. You won’t regret it, trust me!

Where to find White Noise: The Light

White Noise: The Light has not yet been released theatrically or on DVD in the US. It has enjoyed theatrical release in several other countries, and is available on DVD in the UK and Australia. It is unclear at this time whether WNTL will get a theatrical release in the US.

If you live in the US or another country where WNTL is not available, you can import the DVD from the UK or Australia. These DVDs will have different reigon encoding than US DVDs, and will not play in a standard DVD player. You may be able to hack your DVD player (do a google search for reigon hacks), purchase a reigon-free DVD player, or in some cases you will be able to play the DVD on your computer.

Looking for a WNTL fan site? Head on over to my friend’s beautifully designed site www.whitenoisethelight.net.