Audiences at the 2025 Cinequest Film Festival had the chance to see the world premiere of a new supernatural thriller, Voices Carry. The film was co-written and directed by Abby Brenker and Ellyn Vander Wyden, both making their feature-film debuts in these roles. Voices Carry tells the story of Sam, a chef who recently lost her restaurant, returning to her childhood lakeside home with her husband, Jack. As Sam struggles to decide what to do with her life now, she discovers a strange diary that uncovers the dark history of the town, the lake, and her ancestors.

At the heart of Voices Carry is a dramatic, slow-burn thriller. Brenker and Wyden craft a story about a woman at a crossroads. Sam lost her purpose in life with her restaurant. Moving to the family’s old house on the lake might have been a smart financial decision, avoiding paying rent in the big city in a one-income household while Jack works remotely, but it comes with other issues. Now, Sam is left to figure out what her future holds, all while her husband becomes a detached workaholic. What’s more, the lake house is the place where Sam’s mother died when Sam was a little girl. Only two things seem to distract Sam from her misery: a somewhat suspicious neighbor who used to babysit Sam when she was little, and the mysterious journal dating back to when the town was founded. The journey audiences are taken on is certainly compelling, but they also intentionally leave some unanswered questions. This will likely frustrate some viewers, but the filmmakers create a balance by leaving certain plot points shrouded in mystery while others are more clearly explained.

What makes Voices Carry a compelling watch is how it incorporates mysterious, supernatural elements to tell a very human story of depression. Sam starts out hopeful, if not a bit lost. As time moves on, she becomes more isolated, paranoid, and obsessive. With the journal, Sam begins to understand the hereditary nature of her curse as it is passed down from generation to generation. Brenker and Wyden even manage to show the seasonality of depression, allowing the climax of the film to take place in winter. It’s a haunting, powerful tale many audiences will relate to, with an ending that is sure to lead to some interesting conversations.

This film has a small but mighty cast. Gia Crovatin (House of Darkness, Fear the Night) stars in Voices Carry as Sam. Sam’s journey is quite emotional, and Crovatin does a fantastic job of portraying the character. She gives such a layered performance, allowing the audience to connect to Sam before her mental health becomes completely entangled in the mystery of the journal. While her performance is great throughout the film, it’s when the story enters winter that Crovatin really embodies what it looks like for someone to be in a deep depression. Jeff Ayars (Abaddon’s Pit, Poundcake) plays Sam’s husband, Jack. While Jack seems like a good husband at the start, his character is a rather typical archetype, not believing his wife about the strange happenings around the house and being unable, or unwilling, to help with her depression. Ayars is great, straddling the line between likable and infuriating, and he has great chemistry with Crovatin. Finally, we have Jeremy Holm (The Ranger, Redux Redux) as Sam’s neighbor and childhood babysitter, Henry. Holm initially presents as slightly off-putting, and even threatening, as Henry, but he quickly becomes a stable presence for Sam as she tries to rebuild her life. It’s a different side of Holm than we typically see, and audiences are sure to fall in love with him and this character.

Because Voices Carry incorporates subtle ghostly elements to enhance the story, the visuals are also more subtle. The lakeside location is stunning. It adds a beautiful backdrop that allows for the weight of the past to shine. It also allows for the changing of the seasons to be more evident as the film begins in summer before transitioning to fall and then winter. The film has a very interesting use of color that is apparent primarily in the saturation and in Sam’s wardrobe. At first, the colors around the lake are vivid, and Sam tends to wear happy colors like yellow. As she sinks deeper into supernatural despair, Sam’s wardrobe becomes as bleak and grey as the landscape in winter. It leads to an understated beauty that helps with the visual storytelling.

Voices Carry gives a ghostly lens to an otherwise raw and authentic look at depression. There’s a line in the film that likens depression to a sort of possession, which is a testament to Brenker and Wyden’s storytelling abilities. It’s a film that will be a bit too slow for some audiences, and others will wish there more more answers, but it’s a powerful feature film debut for this duo. Crovatin gives a stellar performance as Sam, adding emotional weight to the film. While Voices Carry is a thought-provoking film for all audiences, those who have been touched by depression will likely connect most with the story.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10