Film: Night Whispers
Director: Adrian Ramirez Leon
Writer: Adrian Ramirez Leon
Starring: Pixie Le Knot, Adrian Ramirez Leon, Caitlin Swanton
Synopsis – A night of passion takes a terrifying turn for Tom when his date starts talking in their sleep.
Night Whispers will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Sunday, 19th October at 12:10 pm.
Q. Your film Night Whispers has been selected for Dead and SudBuried — can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the film?
A. Night Whispers starts as a flirty first date that quickly takes a dark turn. What begins spicy turns strange when the woman starts talking in her sleep — and not in a normal way. We also had a contortionist involved, so… brace yourselves.
Q. How did the idea for the film come about and what were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. The idea came from my brother, actually — he used to talk in his sleep when we were kids. It was funny at the time, but I couldn’t shake the thought of how unsettling it would be if he ever said something weird or in another voice. That little “what if” moment grew into Night Whispers.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. I worked closely with our DP, Adam Hudson, who’s amazing. We both loved the eerie, intimate feel of the indoor scenes in Hereditary — that sense of something hiding in plain sight. We aimed for a similar atmosphere: claustrophobic, moody, and visually tense.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. I wrote two versions — one with a contortionist and one without, in case we couldn’t get Jen. Thankfully we did, because she was incredible and brought something really unique to the film.
Q. What were some of your favourite memories of making the film?
A. Watching my flat turn into a film set was surreal — like living in two realities at once. But the best part was collaborating with a group of talented people who gave the project their all.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Oh, definitely. Our lead actor had to drop out just days before shooting — he had to fly to Belgium for a personal emergency. So I stepped in last minute to play the role myself. It ended p being fun but also very weird, especially giving direction while half-naked for most of the shoot.
Q. What makes Night Whispers stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. It takes you on a relatable journey and bends the genre, but I don’t want to give too much away.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I just want people to have a good time — to feel like they went on a fun, eerie ride they didn’t quite see coming.
Q. Do you have any other projects you’re currently working on?
A. I’m developing a feature film that shares some DNA with Night Whispers — another first date gone wrong, but on a bigger scale and with more genre-bending elements.
Q. If someone was looking to get into filmmaking, what advice would you give them?
A. Don’t wait. Grab a camera — your phone, your uncle’s old camcorder, whatever — and start shooting. You’ll learn more by making something bad than by waiting for
Night Whispers will be playing at Dead and Sudburied on Sunday 19th October at 12:10pm.
Find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for Night Whispers here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
