When the Night Whispers

Welles crafts an uneven cocktail of desire and witchery, exploring classic gothic imagery and the demon lover trope but never challenging convention or infusing stock characters with individuality. When divorced single mom Jocelyn and 11-year-old daughter Mikela inherit Jocelyn’s mother’s house, they meet Asa, a handsome and sexily vulnerable widower living nearby. Soon Jocelyn becomes trapped in a labyrinth of violent sex, dark demands, and sacrifice that test her morality. Enamored of Asa, she ignores the desperate warnings of her psychic friend Luna, but her resolve weakens when she finds her great-grandmother’s journal, which describes her ancestor’s tragic romance with a demonic being who resembles Asa. What is Asa, and will Jocelyn sacrifice her own daughter to please him? This modern shilling shocker attempts to explore the terrifying nature of desire, but lacks gusto or originality. Occasional sex scenes and somewhat sympathetic characters do not compensate for a derivative plot or lack of menacing atmosphere. (Feb.)