Indie Spotlight: Listen Carefully (2024)

“Listen Carefully” is a wildly creative mystery thriller that proves how far passion and ingenuity can take an indie filmmaker.

Andy (Ryan Barton-Grimley) works a 9-5 at the bank. On the surface, he’s a family man with a devoted wife and a newborn. One fateful night, he stays home to watch the baby solo while his wife enjoys a well-deserved night out with the girls. She’s worried he can’t handle the responsibility, but he insists otherwise. His attempt to prove he can be as diligent of a parent as a bank executive goes horribly awry when he’s awakened by the sounds of his baby crying on the monitor.

Rushing to see what’s wrong, he discovers an empty crib and a voice on the baby monitor requesting a $250,000 ransom for the return of the baby.

The film’s premise is built around themes of guilt and the voice in our conscience that tells us when we’re on the wrong path, whether we choose to listen or not.

When Andy dreams, he feels the heavy weight of his actions and fears the consequences of his bad choices. Though he may have had good intentions, desiring to provide for his family, a persistent voice in his head reminds him he’s on a destructive path. As the old proverb goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Ryan Barton-Grimley wears many hats in this film, including writer, director, and lead actor. I encourage you to take note of his name as Listen Carefully proves he’s a tremendous talent who is sure to make his mark on the industry.

He has the unenviable job of performing almost entirely solo against nothing but a voice on a baby monitor for most of the film. Though that doesn’t sound compelling, he manages to make it exactly that — delivering an emotional and investing performance that keeps the audience enthralled. What could have been dull becomes riveting.

There’s a tension that creeps under the surface, aided by a deceptively dreamy score, that will keep you on the hook as you try to imagine where this odd, harrowing adventure will lead.

Listen Carefully perfectly captures the feel of an early 2000s thriller; it’s fast-paced, tense, and constantly unraveling. 

It’s a film that takes the traditional cat-and-mouse game and adds psychological horror elements and a bucket full of blood.

Its only flaw is I wish it had more of an action focus, delivering a few more heightened thrills. As clever as the concept is, there’s only so far you can take it. We do get some twisted dream sequences with masked men, but it never really goes as far as it could have, and you’re left wanting more of that surreal horror.

Ultimately, it would have worked better as a more fleshed-out thriller or streamlined short that could capitalize on its tantalizing idea without running out of steam.

The last twenty minutes of the film descend into outright madness, drawing inspiration from David Lynch’s mind-bending twists and turns. It’s a wild ride, but it does feel a bit rushed. With its onslaught of disturbing images flashing rapidly across the screen, it can be difficult to grasp what is happening.

It culminates in an ending that will likely divide audiences. However, I believe it worked well and suited the narrative, reinforcing the film’s overarching themes.

I would recommend Listen Carefully to those who enjoy thrilling horrors and want something a bit more story-based.