Fans of horror should look forward to Shudder's upcoming film Whistle, which promises incredibly insane, creative, and violent endings for its cast of characters. The story follows Chrys, played by Deadpool and Wolverine star Dafne Keen, the town's new girl with a troubled past. Her first week at school starts to go horribly wrong when she discovers an ancient Aztec death whistle in her locker.
Little does she know at the time, but the moment that whistle is blown, those who hear it become the target of a supernatural force that forces their future death upon them—just far earlier than it was ever supposed to happen. Co-starring alongside Keen is Sophie Nélisse as Ellie, Chrys' love interest in the film.
The Direct spoke with Whistle director Corin Hardy, who teased that there is "a real variety and number of perishments in this movie" and that he "wanted each death to be its own experience and different type of sub-genre of horror." As for how he was able to pull those moments off, he explained how he's "a big fan of practical effects, and a big fan of everything feeling real and happening within the frame."
Sophie Nélisse of Yellowjackets fame also spoke with The Direct's Russ Milheim, where she outlined why Chrys' walking into Ellie's life was so impactful for her character. According to the actress, at the start of the film, Ellie has "lost sight of what really makes her feel alive" and that "meeting Chrys will really kind of change and derail all of her beliefs." When the two are together, "they bring out the best in each other, and they bring out each other's strengths."
More of the interview can be read below. Whistle lands in theaters on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Each Death in 'Whistle' Plays Into a Different Sub-Genre of Horror
"There Was a Real Variety and Number of Perishments In This Movie..."
- The Direct: "Corin, as I was mentioning earlier, the movie does level up kind of what death scenes can accomplish in a horror movie. As much as you can, can you talk about just the practical challenges of making such violent and creative deaths a reality?"
Corin Hardy: There was a real variety and number of perishments in this movie as characters are faced with their fate that comes to deliver its death to them. And I appreciated that I didn't want to, you know, repeat anything, and I wanted each death to be its own experience and different type of sub genre of horror, almost, and involve different techniques, largely beginning in a practical way with practical effects and prosthetics and animatronics and puppetry and using performers and actors and contortionists, and then using visual effects in different amounts according to what was required.
But I'm a big fan of practical effects, and a big fan of everything feeling real and happening within the frame, and it not feeling like you're suddenly plunged into a CG world. So, I always want things to feel kind of lived in and tactile and visceral. So, practical effects are still high on my list of how to achieve that, but it is in the combination of practical effects and visual effects. So a lot of these sequences have a mixture.
Whistle Has a Special Romance at Its Core
"Chrys Is Such a Breath of Fresh Air for Ellie."
- The Direct: "When Dafne Keen's Chyrs walks into Ellie's life, everything changes. Can you talk about how her introduction fundamentally changes Ellie, and also how their relationship is a breath of fresh air to the horror genre?"
Sophie Nélisse: I think Ellie has such a clear idea of where she's headed and what she wants, and some set ambitions, and that's really been her driving force in her entire life. I think [Ellie], I mean, maybe, has been a bit too rigid on herself, and I think lost sight of really what makes her feel alive.
And I think meeting Chrys will really kind of change and derail all of her beliefs, because it is so refreshing to see someone that is so unapologetically herself and so true to who she is and not scared to stand for her own, has a bit of that rebellious side, and doesn't care what other people think of her. Whereas Ellie has a tendency of probably wanting to be a bit more of like a people pleaser.
And so I think they bring out the best in each other, and they bring out each other's strengths. And I think that is really what is, then becomes the driving force of the film, because you need Chrys' badass and rebellious side to be able to break into the hospital and go find those documents and be able to kick the priest in the nuts, but then you also need Ellie's cool headed composure to be able to deal with situations of crisis.
