Review: ‘A Whisper, A Scream, And A Cut To Black’ Is Downright Creepy

Indie horror films like A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black can achieve impressive things with small budgets. Known for other horror films like Anti-Wonderful (2022), Samuel B delivers a creepy found footage horror film that infuses elements of the slasher subgenre. Instead of paranormal happenings, this film crew is thrust into an unthinkable nightmare with a gleefully sadistic killer. When these two subgenres join hands, the sky’s the limit, and it’s wicked fun. 

A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black follows a crew of newly branded ghost hunters who investigate a strange location to go viral. But when their plans are thwarted by Button Man (Lucas Lee Garza), they realize they’re in extreme danger and must try to get out alive. In typical slasher fashion, they are picked off one by one, and each fate is its own brand of grisly and gruelling. Only there are no flashy blood explosions, and that makes it all the more realistic-looking. 

When the film kicks off with a few coworkers who aren’t on the same page, it becomes clear that everything is going to hell in a handbasket. Audri (Kara Eilander) is a young and pretty actress who wants to make a mark in the industry. The director, Matthew (Hank Moen Fisher), is ambitious and certain that they will hit it big with ghost hunting, and the rest of the crew does their best to fulfill that aspiration. Well, until they are forced to pivot when the Button Man kills one of the crew members very brutally. 

The blend of horror genres in A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black makes it wicked fun.

The group we’re following comes across as the type of people who aren’t prepared to survive a slasher. Whether that was Samuel B’s intention, that’s not confirmed, but their inability to fight is what makes the film different. Immediately, A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black lead us to believe who will likely make it out alive. That and the question of who the final girl will be by the end of the film, as we’re presented with only so many women to choose from. 

As the film progresses from people acting way too flippant about weird happenings to the madness, it’s clear that nothing is going to go right. Audri is more nervous than anything, crew member Loni (Kelsey Brown) rightfully wants to leave, Jennifer (Liz Rodriguez Francois) goes missing early on, and the men are too busy trying to pretend everything is okay. It’s a recipe for disaster when a killer is thrown into the mix and you’re unable to leave because you’re trapped. 

Naturally, as A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black isn’t operating under a huge budget, we don’t have time to meander or do much in the way of worldbuilding. Therefore, the action kicks in not too long after the crew discovers weird items in the rooms, including a bloody knife that everyone keeps touching for some reason. In all seriousness, nobody should ever do that. The first gory kill looks quite real in its execution, especially since the killer is filming as he does it. You’ll feel nothing short of creeped out because he’s not a silent guy.

Tonal issues arise once the setting shifts outside the building, which may rankle viewers.

Just like many slashers, there are twists that you won’t see coming, and Samuel B. makes sure it isn’t obvious from the get-go. Your assumptions about the final act might be turned on their heads. The film does take on a different tone when the setting isn’t in the building. Some moments work and don’t work due to the execution of the tonal shift, but the small gripes don’t take away from the reveal. After all, this is a slasher found footage horror film, and there’s almost always a reveal in a slasher. 

A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black certainly brings a particular flavor to the film with the slasher aspects. If you’re looking for another found footage film to compare, #ChadGetsTheAxe comes to mind. In a slasher, the kills are usually something that fans will hone in on. Thankfully, Meri Gyetvay delivered on giving us delightfully nasty gore in this indie delight. It demonstrates that small budgets can produce magic with the right individuals behind the scenes. 

A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black will serve as a good time for anyone who wants to explore a dirty building, be unnerved by a gleeful killer POV, watch characters argue instead of ambushing the killer, and hope for a final girl finale moment. A Whisper A Scream and A Cut to Black is a good recommendation for people looking to support more indie horror films, as well as for fans of the found footage genre. 

A Whisper, A Scream, & A Cut to Black will be available on Digital and Blu-ray in October 2025.