The Voices (2014)

Intro
"The Voices" is a 2014 black funny horror movie directed by Marjane Satrapi and composed by Michael R. Perry. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, whose performance got widespread honor, along with Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and Jacki Weaver.

Plot
Embed in the small commercial town of Milton, the movie follows the life of Jerry Hickfang, played by Reynolds, a bubbly and affable male who works at a bath tub factory. Jerry experiences schizophrenia. He lives alone with his pet, Bosco, and his cat, Mr.Whiskers. The fascinating twist is that he hears his family pets talk with him, which is a striking aspect of his mental disorder. They often serve as his conscience, with Bosco being the angel on his shoulder and Mr. Whiskers, the devil.

Murders and Delusions
The story takes a dark turn when Jerry develops a crush on his associate, Fiona, played by Arterton. One night, after a work celebration, he unintentionally winds up killing her in a state of frenzy. Frightened by his actions, he tries to suppress his regret by convincing himself that it was an accident. Ultimately, Jerry's deceptions intensify, as his cat urges him to accept a life of murder, leading him to eliminate another coworker, Lisa (Kendrick).

The Serial Killer Side
In a significantly strange twist, Jerry's victims' severed heads start talking to him from his fridge, contributing to the voices he hears. As the story advances, the film supplies looks into Jerry's struggling past describing the reasons for his mental condition. It's exposed that his mom also experienced schizophrenia and had asked him to kill her to put an end to her suffering. This previous trauma has actually silently supported Jerry's darker side and his ability to view his grim and bloody reality through a cheerfully distorted lens.

Climax and Resolution
In the climax, Jerry's psychiatrist, Dr.Warren (Weaver), discovers the truth and tries to confront him. Jerry reacts by mistakenly killing her too. His world starts crashing down when he stops taking his medicine, leading to a clearer understanding of his dreadful actions. Realizing the extent of his madness, he chooses to turn himself into the police but gets trapped in his own apartment, which ignites.

In an unclear ending, Jerry passes away from smoke inhalation or gets stabbed by a piece of a damaged door (it's delegated the viewer's interpretation). In his death, he pictures his victims and himself in an unrealistically pleased world, performing a dance number, reinforcing his seasonal need for escape from the vicious reality.

Conclusion
"The Voices" smartly mixes components of scary, humor, and catastrophe to highlight the grim reality of mental illness. Reynolds excels in his portrayal of a killer living nearly completely in a fantasy world of his own, making audiences empathize with his complex character. The movie uses his hallucinations to show his internal struggle and effortlessly rotates in between Jerry's captivating dream world and the gruesome reality, making "The Voices" a cooling yet poignant examination of mental health.

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