Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Don’t Listen’ On Netflix, An Extremely Creepy (If Familiar) Spanish-Language Horror Flick

Family moves into creepy new house with hopes of flipping it for profit and gets way more than they bargained for. Horror tale as old as time, right? Don’t Listen – called Voces in Spanish – a Spanish-language horror film now streaming on Netflix, sticks to this familiar formula, but can it shake things up enough to earn a place in your queue? We’re here to find out. 

DON’T LISTEN: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Daniel (Rodolfo Sancho) and Sara (Belén Fabra) make a living flipping houses. When they move into their latest project, things don’t seem to be that different, but their 8-year-old son Eric (Lucas Blas) begins hearing voices and struggling to sleep. They enlist the help of a psychologist, who tells them the inconsistency in Eric’s life is likely to blame for his trouble sleeping, but she doesn’t seem to have an explanation for the voices he claims to be hearing. While driving away from the house, the psychologist meets a gruesome and untimely demise, which is only the beginning of the nightmare that is about to swallow everyone who dares step foot in this house.

After a series of strange occurrences in the middle of the night – and terrifying encounters for poor Eric – an unspeakable tragedy befalls the family. Voices torment them through walkie talkies, radios, and phone messages. Daniel, desperate for answers and troubled about where to turn, seeks the help of paranormal expert Germán (Ramón Barea) to get to the bottom of what is happening to him and his family. With the help of Germán’s daughter Ruth (Ana Fernández), the group puts skepticism aside and tries to solve the terrifying mystery of this home and the malevolent spirit inside it before it is too late.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Don’t Listen hits that grief and horror sweet spot quite well; whether you’re a fan of creepy house movies like The Amityville Horror and The Conjuring, or heavier flicks like The Babadook and Hereditary, Don’t Listen might be just up your alley. (Fellow EVP horror flick White Noise also comes to mind).

Performance Worth Watching: Ramón Barea’s Germán is Don’t Listen‘s secret ingredient, a stable – if initially skeptical – patriarchal presence from his first appearance (even if we’re briefly worried he may be the fraud Daniel fears). Barea plays Germán equal parts soft and stern, an expert who tries his best to keep a distance but can’t resist offering his services to someone who truly needs it. His bond with his daughter Ruth is also some of the film’s stronger interpersonal stuff; their banter and working relationship really help sell the kind of person Germán really is.

Memorable Dialogue: Don’t Listen really finds its strength in suspense-building, so there isn’t much strong dialogue to write home about here.

Sex and Skin: Nope.

Our Take: Don’t Listen is a worthy addition to the family-moves-into-haunted-house genre, a predictable yet truly terrifying journey that masterfully creates an unsettling atmosphere. The jump scares don’t feel cheap, and the twists and turns and backstory reveals are earned. Even when it’s utilizing clichéd tropes and story beats, Don’t Listen manages to remain fully engaging and suspenseful, a film able to hook you and hold on until its very last shot (and its post-credits scene!). These days, it’s no easy feat to hold the attention of many a streamer – especially horror fans – but Don’t Listen is up for the challenge. Director Ángel Gómez Hernández expertly begins building tension from the moment we arrive at the home; the overhead shot of Eric’s red ball floating in the murky pool accompanied by an eerie score elicits feelings of total dread and hints at what’s to come.

While the film certainly creates a creepy climate with ease, it does lack in the department of character development and depth. I kept wishing there was a little bit more to the central couple, a tad more going on under the surface so that we might be motivated to get more invested. This isn’t to say that I didn’t care about what happened to them – Don’t Listen definitely gives you someone to root for – but I felt that the thinly written characters felt a little out of place in a film with this strong a tone (even with its most predictable moments). That said, however, the actors do their best with what they’re given. The central quad – Daniel, Sara, Germán, and Ruth – all deliver incredibly compelling performances. When they’re in pain, we feel it, and we feel their gasps and screams and shouts, too. Without strong performers to match the film’s strong sense of self, Don’t Listen would be thoroughly forgettable. Fortunately, this is not the case.

You may very well guess the twists and turns ahead (to some extent), but Don’t Listen isn’t necessarily reliant on innovation. The film’s strength comes from its ability to suck you in completely, immersing you in a world where something sinister lurks behind every corner. If you’re expecting an utterly original piece of horror in Don’t Listen, you should look elsewhere. If, however, you’re a lover of the genre and down for a predictable journey that boasts some truly scary moments and magnificent atmosphere, you’re gonna love this one.

Our Call: STREAM IT. While many of the story beats may feel familiar, Don’t Listen masterfully manifests an atmosphere of horror and tension, making it well worth your while.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Don't Listen on Netflix