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Movies / On DVD / White Noise
White Noise

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White Noise (2005)

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Reviews Counted:147

Fresh:13

Rotten:134

Average Rating:3.5/10

Consensus: While there are some built-in scares, the movie is muddled and unsatisfying.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: People have always searched for a way to communicate with the other side--fascinated, motivated, driven to find a way to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Electronic Voice Phenomenon... People have always searched for a way to communicate with the other side--fascinated, motivated, driven to find a way to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) is the process through which the dead communicate with the living through household recording devices. These extraordinary recordings--captured by people all over the world, in their homes, with a simple tape or video recorder--seem to confirm what many of us have dared to believe: it is possible for the dead to communicate with us. And all we have to do is listen. Now, from Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films comes the suspense thriller that explores this very-real, other-worldly communication--White Noise. Tapping into our deepest fears and most profound longings, White Noise forces us to re-examine the world in which we live and, in the process, question our most basic notions about life and death. Michael Keaton plays successful architect Jonathan Rivers, whose peaceful existence is shattered by the unexplained disappearance and death of his wife, Anna (Chandra West). Jonathan is eventually contacted by a man (Ian McNeice), who claims to be receiving messages from Anna through EVP. At first skeptical, Jonathan then becomes convinced of the messages' validity, and is soon obsessed with trying to contact her on his own. His further explorations into EVP and the accompanying supernatural messages unwittingly open a door to another world, allowing something uninvited into his life. White Noise is directed by veteran television helmer Geoffrey Sax, written by Niall Johnson (The Big Swap), and produced by Paul Brooks (executive producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Shawn Williamson (House of the Dead). -- © Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West, Ian McNeice

Starring: Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Chandra West, Ian McNeice, Nicholas Elia, Sarah Strange, Mike Dopud, Mitchell Kosterman, Keegan Connor Tracy, Miranda Frigon, April Telek, Aaron Douglas

Director: Geoffrey Sax

Director: Geoffrey Sax
Screenwriter: Niall Johnson
Producer: Paul Brooks, Shawn Williamson
Studio: Universal Pictures

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Reviews for White Noise

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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The soundtrack and crackling static, contorting into mysterious moans, create a chilling mood, but the characters are so thin.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In short, watching actual white noise would be preferable to sitting through White Noise. Avoid like your life depended on it.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/15/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Through it all Keaton furrows his brow with impressive intensity. But his efforts are hampered by a script which requires him to do the exact opposite of what any right-minded individual would do in his circumstances.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
05/10/05
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

White Noise is not the kind of thriller that makes you scream and leap about in your seat, but it will likely have you squirming and gasping.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/07/05
Jam! Movies
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Flawed but enjoyable supernatural thriller.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
01/06/05
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Though it's not based on an Asian horror film, White Noise sure feels like one...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
01/06/05
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

I was pleased nonetheless with convincing acting, well spread tension and suspense, and a great concept.

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Unfolds with precision and excellent pacing. It’s been a long while since I’ve been so unnerved in a theater.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
01/08/05
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

Director Geoffrey Sax bravely avoids treating White Noise as another grab bag of scare tactics.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
01/07/05
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Even though logic takes a holiday in White Noise, Geoffrey Sax, a British television director making his theatrical debut, lavishes enough craft on the paranormal thriller to send more than a few chills down the spine.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
01/06/05
Kirk Honeycutt
Kirk Honeycutt
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

White Noise works because Michael Keaton makes you believe in what he's going through.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/07/05
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

The ending *is* ludicrous... but if you like ghost stories, White Noise is disquieting enough.

Full Review Source: Horror.com | comment Comment
01/06/05
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Horror.com

Even if its dorky climax throws you out of the mood again, there are staticky bits of White Noise that still manage to cling.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/15/05
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

A movie that goes "bump" in the night

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
01/26/05
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

The only problem is that there's just not that much of a reason to sit up and check out what all of the noise is about.

Full Review Source: Dread Central | comment Comment
07/06/06
Uncle Creepy
Uncle Creepy
Dread Central

Enjoyably slow-paced.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
01/07/05
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

There's a decent concept here, but the fuzzy execution, lack of scares and a corny conclusion kill this one.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/07/05
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Boring horror film.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment 1 Comment
01/07/05
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Around the two-thirds mark, this restless bum had an urge to move considerably farther than the seat's edge.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
01/07/05
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...a clumsy, dreadfully preposterous and pedestrian thriller that seems to believe loud noises are the same as good frights.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
01/07/05
Aaron Hillis
Aaron Hillis
Premiere Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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Latest News for White Noise

May 02, 2006: "White Noise 2" Set Visit: Hanging With Nathan Fillion, PLUS The First "White Noise 2" Set Photos!
Our "White Noise 2" set coverage wraps up with not one, but many delights: a sit down with Nathan Fillion, plus the first ever photos from the spooky set to grace the... More...

April 27, 2006: "White Noise 2" Set Visit: Shawn Williamson On Horror Remakes, "Dungeon Siege," and...Canadian Horror?
RT's "White Noise 2" set coverage, Part Three: producer Shawn Williamson, whose 50+ credits include "Slither," "White Noise," and many of Uwe... More...

April 26, 2006: "White Noise 2" Set Visit: Patrick Lussier Promises Twists, Talks Horror
Our "White Noise 2" set coverage continues with RT's conversation with director Patrick Lussier, as the horror editor-director talks about working with Wes Craven and... More...

March 14, 2006: Nathan Fillion Talks "White Noise" Sequel
Sci Fi Wire talked to "Serenity" star Nathan Fillion about his upcoming thriller, "White Noise 2: The Light," which has just started filming in Vancouver. More...

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