Independent Film Company and Shudder will release Whistle in theaters on February 6, 2026. The cursed object/high school horror movie had its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 and has been rated “R” for “strong violent content, gore, drug content and some language.” It is set to stream on Shudder following the theatrical run.
A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down. As the body count rises, the friends investigate the origins of the deadly artifact in a desperate effort to stop the horrifying chain of events that they have set in motion.
Directed by Corin Hardy (The Nun). Owen Egerton (Blood Fest) wrote the script, based on his own short story. No Trace Camping and Wild Atlantic Pictures produce. Starring Dafne Keen (Logan), Sophie Nélisse (“Yellowjackets”), Sky Yang (Rebel Moon), Percy Hynes White (“Wednesday”), and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead).
Teaser:Official Trailer:
Death Summons a Poolside Scare Movie Clip:
Dafne Keen & Sophie Nélisse Unveil Whistle First Look at SDCC 2025:
Interview WHISTLE star Sophie Nélisse talks finding the right role, chemistry with Dafne Keen:
Interview Sophie Nélisse Spills the tea on Meeting Mark Carney, chats w/ Hudson Williams & “Whistle”!
Interview Sophie Nélisse talks WHISTLE, Dafne Keen, Heated Rivalry:
Interview Would You Dare Blow the Ancient Aztec Death Whistle? Director Corin Hardy and writer Owen Egerton reveal whether anyone on set was brave enough:
Interview Corin Hardy on Red Carpet at Fantastic Fest 2025:
Interview on Red Carpet at Fantastic Fest 2025:
Interview with WHISTLE director Corin Hardy on his new edgy teen horror film:
Interview Whistle Star Sophie Nélisse and Director Colin Hardy on Their Insane New Horror Film:
Interview Sophie Nélisse & Corin Hardy Talk Whistle:
Stills:
Reviews:
"...Whistle is really fun. Despite its formulaic premise, familiar characters, and narrative tropes, the film is a genuinely good time. Throw in some outstanding (and mean!) deaths, and horror fans have been gifted an unexpected delight." ★★★½ Bloody-Disgusting.com
"Featuring incredible kill sequences and strong performances, Corin Hardy’s ‘Whistle’ is a deeply effective piece of teen-centric horror storytelling." ★★★½ dreadcentral.com
"Whistle is, at its best, a lively and ferocious teenage slasher ditty that brings that breakneck overdrive appeal. Death isn’t going to look like a punk, making foolish kids pay for their mistakes without any mercy. Hardy does well to manage tone, terror, and a full-bodied horror experience that still finds a core vulnerability worth highlighting. And while horror is most certainly more than bloodshed and effects wizardry, that’s still on display with impressive results. Like I said, a full-bodied horror experience—even if those bodies are sent to the morgue in unidentifiable states." ★★★½ dailydead.com
"Whistle is a good example of pushing the medium while remaining true to its roots. There is something rather comforting within high school horror, a sub-genre traditionally filled with tropes ripe for self-parody. But Hardy elevates it with actual style, treating the material seriously and with a unique directorial flare. The high school setting has been updated slightly for the 2025 (er, 2026) audience with a good soundtrack of current standouts and covers, but it still feels rather timeless, perhaps still stuck in a previous era of horror. Maybe that’s why I gelled with it so much – simple, effective, scary, and fun. What else could you ask for?" Fangoria.com
"By the look, tone and feel of the film, it’s a good assumption Hardy and company wanted to create a nostalgic ode to 90s pop culture... Gorehounds will be disappointed since the kills are uninventive and not the least bit scary, nor entertaining on any level of blood-lust. The escalating shenanigans are obnoxious and abrasive, frequently punctuated by Doomphonic’s loud, shrill industrial score... Characters aren’t properly developed. We don’t care about any of them since we’re not given substantial reasons to care about them... WHISTLE is a junky entry into a year marked by stronger, smarter horror films made for savvier audiences." Grade: F FreshFiction.tv
"When considered among the current horror slate, Whistle is relatively throwaway fare. Competently made and performed, it has a few tricks up its sleeve but won’t exactly be changing the game like Oscar nominees Sinners (2025) and Weapons (2025). At the same time, when it comes to modern, mainstream, multiplex horror, Whistle is considerably more exciting than 99% of what clogs up theaters on an average Friday night. It’s got plenty of heart, soul and ingenuity, and Hardy’s film isn’t afraid to get nasty either. If nothing else, Whistle bodes well for the future of studio horror." VagueVisages.com
"Whistle works because it knows it’s ultimately a funhouse horror ride – quite literally. Egerton’s signature fascination with a good old Halloween carnival is there, and the massive maze that the kids get lost in is even more over the top than that in his 2019 comedy-horror, BloodFest... It’s the same thrill as the Final Destination movies, which Egerton and Hardy have both noted as an influence: watching likable protagonists try and sometimes fail to evade death... There’s even a couple of particularly gnarly methods of death where half the fun is working out exactly what is happening to the soon-to-be-departed. Of course, the fact that the source of this menace – that ancient whistle crafted by Hardy and Spanish creature designer Daniel Carrusco – is just an immobile yet indestructible grinning skull means that there’s plenty of potential for sequels. Let’s hope the bloody story of the whistle avoids a premature demise." ★★★ AustinChronicle.com
"Whistle is a textbook case of “turn off your brain and enjoy the ride”, but even in that case, there are enough tonal irregularities, miraculous plot devices, and shaky CG showcases (including the opening immolation) that it never quite rises to the level of guilty pleasure. The leads put in solid performances, but even they can’t hold this shaky construction together. Unfortunately, this Whistle is more of a sad trombone." ScreenAnarchy.com
"...Whistle is a weaker example of a certain type of curse movie, given the many strong alternatives through the years, including the recent Smile films. And look, I know it’s just bad timing, but Whistle ends with an Iron Maiden song, and if you’re a horror movie with an Iron Maiden song opening in the wake of the excellent 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, you better hope you can even slightly measure up. And that’s not the case here." ★★½ MovieWeb.com
"Whistle wants to scare you, but only offers predictability and mostly unrealistic characters not worth caring about. The best thing Whistle has going for it is that the "monster" is actually pretty creepy, and the rules created behind what it does are intriguing enough. The gore and death scenes are effective, pulling in the viewer, as the character building pushes them away. Whistle has enough entertainment to make it a decent watch if you're bored enough. Just don't expect (similar better films like) Talk to Me, It Follows, or the like, which took perceived expectations and turned them on their heads. Whistle is content to simply stay in its rigid lines. Remove a few good scares, and AI could have made this one." Collider.com
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