REVIEW
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 White Noise 2: The Light
2007
Certificate: 15 | Runtime: 99 | Director: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff, Craig Fairbrass
 
After witnessing the brutal murder of his wife and son, Abe Dale (Fillion) takes an overdose in an attempt to end his own life. However, he is resuscitated in the hospital. Soon after, he is haunted by images and sounds that emerge from electronic static. Added to this, Abe can also see a bright light that surrounds individuals when they are close to death.
Like its predecessor, White Noise 2: The Light gets into a bit of a muddle over what sort of film it is. It had the potential to be a creepy and absorbing paranormal thriller, or to cover more familiar generic horror ground and present us with loud noises and plenty of jump scares. Unfortunately, the film chooses the latter option a few too many times. However, what makes it stand apart from most horror films we saw last year (and its predecessor), is that it features a couple of really good characters.
Rarely do I have anything good to say about performances in horror films, but with White Noise 2 I will gladly make an exception. Maybe it's because the character has a tragic history, but Fillion really makes you feel for Abe. When he tries to use his gifts to save lives it doesn't seem artificially heroic, but rather the actions of a man desperate to achieve closure after suffering a tragic loss. Sackhoff pops up regularly as Sherry, Abe's former nurse, and again there is a depth to her performance that you don't usually see in this sort of film. The two have a pleasing chemistry, and it's a shame that they're not together in as many scenes as one would like.
The film starts to come apart a little when it tries to enthrall and frighten the audience at the same time. Abe can see things in static due to EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon), but the film doesn't go into enough detail about this. In particular, the link between EVP and the 'death lights' is never properly explained. All that happens is that Abe sees some static or electronic interference, and shortly afterwards he'll see another person surrounded by an aura.
While this lack of an explanation its frustrating, what also grates a little is that EVP is only really used to create cheap jump scares. You know the type I mean - the sudden appearance of a creepy, ghoulish face accompanied by a loud noise on the soundtrack. These occur far too often, and I genuinely cannot see why they are necessary at all, because the film would be far more atmospheric and engrossing without them. Thankfully though, once Abe learns that saving lives has consequences these daft scare tactics take a back seat.
White Noise 2 has a particularly jarring musical score, and in places it's so over the top that it becomes amusing. However, the special effects are good and aren't unnecessarily flashy, and some of the make-up work is pretty creepy too. The film also contains a number of nods and references to other horror films, and these vary in their subtlety. Generally they fit in well enough, although occasionally they'll prompt you to remember scenes from other films (such as The Shining and Don't Look Now), rather than focusing on the film you're supposed to be watching.
So while White Noise 2 does many things that usually frustrate me, it still manages to work. Horror films are always so much better when you care about the people in them, and this is where this film succeeds. It's not perfect by any means, but it just about warrants a recommendation because it achieves something that is far too rare in films of its genre.© David Mercier
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