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This New Horror Film Flying Up Apple TV's Charts Was Made on a Micro Budget

Collider

July 25, 2024

"Dead Whisper," a low-budget horror success, was shot across Massachusetts to create a haunting atmosphere. Director Conor Soucy's personal nightmare inspired the film, which was initially made as a short. The unconventional production approach and fortuitous casting contributed to the film's success. Apple TV has a surprising new horror thriller success, and it was made on a minuscule budget. "Dead Whisper," the feature directorial debut of Conor Soucy, began trending on the platform's horror section following a limited theatrical release and digital release earlier this month courtesy of Vertical Entertainment. The creepy feature has earned plaudits for capturing a look beyond its price tag, shooting over 250 miles across Massachusetts from historical buildings and estates to Cape Cod to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere on the cheap. With the film still garnering interest online, Collider can reveal that the film ultimately cost under $200,000 to bring to life, and we can provide some insight into the creative process behind it all.

"Dead Whisper's" journey to the big screen involved an unconventional approach beyond its low budget. For one, the title was initially envisioned as a short film in line with Soucy's previous works, taking inspiration from a deeply personal and vivid nightmare the director had about an island where everyone spoke in whispers. Production ultimately shifted to a feature format to capitalize on the impressive visuals created by Soucy and his cinematographer, Ben Grant. However, creating a longer project only exacerbated the budget constraints, as the film was created under a benchmark style of production that ensured financing would only be granted when each segment of the film was completed. This added a sense of uncertainty about whether the movie would ever reach the finish line, but the crew found ways to make it all work, like employing skeleton crews to help with exterior and on-location shoots.

Soucy created the film as an exploration of grief and isolation based on his own feelings dealing with the loss of a close family member and inspired by horror classics. It follows grieving father Elliot Campbell — played by Blue Bloods alum Samuel Dunning — who is still mourning the loss of his daughter. One day, upon boarding a ferry for business related to his job as a lawyer in Cape Cod, he is thrown off course to a haunting island just off the coast. He's offered the opportunity of a lifetime to bring back his daughter, though he risks losing his soul forever in the process.

"Dead Whisper" is the latest horror hit on a low budget. The horror genre in particular has proven to be favorable to low-budget darlings that capture an audience's attention. One of its greatest successes, "The Blair Witch Project," made $246.8 million at the box office on the back of a final cost under $1 million. More recently, Damien Leone's "Terrifier 2" shocked audiences to the tune of $15.7 million with a $250,000 budget, and Kyle Edward Ball's "Skinamarink" showed the effectiveness of analog horror by grossing $2.1 million against an unfathomable $15,000 cost. That's not to discount the surprising rise of "Dead Whisper," though, as it still made an impression against a sea of incredible horror features this year, from bigger titles like "Abigail" and "The First Omen" to indie favorites like "I Saw the TV Glow" and "Stopmotion."

To further keep costs low, "Dead Whisper" also benefitted from some fortuitous casting. Dunning was joined by a first-timer on-screen in Soucy's friend's father, Rob Evan, a multi-talented performer with a history on-stage. His resume is impressive, with leading roles on Broadway in major productions including "Les Misérables" and "Jekyll & Hyde" as well as a history of performing vocals for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Evan plays the Historian, a man who ages 100 years over the 90-minute film, though his involvement expanded to an executive producer role as he became more invested. Tana Sirois rounds out the cast while Colin Charles Dale helped co-write.