'Voices' Review: Detroit Musical Thriller Sings Through Fear — SkimNews
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- "Voices" is directed by Deanté Gray as a chamber thriller-musical hybrid set almost entirely in one 1967 Detroit motel room with just three central characters.
- Jordan (Francis Edemobi), an aspiring Motown musician working at the motel, seeks a breakout when the Harmony Brothers arrive; an accident with them leads him to recruit cousin Derrick (Ezekiel Ajeigbe) and girlfriend Mia (Raél Ba) to plot escape — and a career launchpad.
- The film's musical conceit has characters singing at peak tension rather than joy, including during an armed confrontation, with songs about "strained feelings and regret" written by screenwriters Sam Buckner III and Charlie T Savage.
- Ezekiel Ajeigbe and Raél Ba's rendition of "The Voices in My Head" is the film's standout, with the review crediting the pair for making the tonal clashes work with tangible emotion.
- The review criticizes the late addition of sociopolitical context about being Black in 1960s America as feeling "tacked on," calling the conclusion increasingly outlandish.
- Despite the rocky third act, the review calls "Voices" "an intriguing experiment" and "difficult to dismiss," citing brisk editing and performances anchored in "recognizable feeling."
Why it matters: The reviewer credits director Deanté Gray for understanding that songs emerging from characters' fear and desperation — not joy — are what make this unusual genre blend work. The cautionary lesson: late-added sociopolitical context dilutes a premise that succeeded best as a tight, personal morality play.
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