Ryan Reynolds’ Disturbing Horror Comedy Is Weird Even By His Standards (But It’s One of His Best)

When people think about Ryan Reynolds, their minds go to one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood and one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world. He has always been at the forefront of some major movies, but that has hit a new level over the past decade or so. It feels like Reynolds’ star truly grew once he became Deadpool and that is the character he is most associated with. Before that, he was known for Van Wilder, The Proposal, Just Friends, and the hugely disappointing Green Lantern. Since Deadpool, he’s been a star in Detective Pikachu, Free Guy, The Adam Project, and more.

With so many big movies, it’s easy to forget that Ryan Reynolds has also stood out in some smaller indie flicks. In fact, that’s usually the place where he gets to branch out and display his versatility. That was evident in the odd horror comedy he appeared in back in 2014, The Voices. Not many people know the film even exists, as it only grossed around $2 million at the box office, yet it features Reynolds alongside some great actors and is incredibly weird. As strange as it may be, The Voices is also one of Reynolds’ best movies.

The Voices Is Ryan Reynolds’ Weirdest Movie

The entire premise of The Voices feels like something out of a fever dream. The film sees Reynolds portray the lead character, Jerry Hickfang, a factory worker living with schizophrenia. His hallucinations become more vivid as time goes on, and they lead him to commit murder, all the while having conversations with his pets and the severed heads of his victims. The movie completely leans into the absurdity of it all, which helps it stand out from the rest of Reynolds’ filmography.

The Voices features some intriguing tone shifts, as the things going on in Jerry’s head are depicted as a bright, happy world, which is in direct opposition to the horrific nature of the real world. The pets play a big part, acting as something of an angel and demon on Jerry’s shoulders. The voices are done by Reynolds, who uses awkward accents to differentiate them, which only adds to the surreal nature of everything.

Seeing Ryan Reynolds like this is one thing, but the movie becomes more odd when you see other stars pop up. For example, Gemma Arterton shows up as Fiona, a co-worker who Jerry harbors feelings for. She ends up as one of his victims, and while Jerry is stabbing her, he apologizes over and over. He then talks to her severed head joyfully later on. Anna Kendrick also appears as a woman named Lisa and things don’t go well for her either. She might be more known for an odd movie here or there, but this still feels out of her wheelhouse in the best way.

The Voices Feels Like Reynolds At His Best

One of the biggest criticisms lobbied at Ryan Reynolds in the past few years is that a lot of his characters feel too similar to one another. It’s believed that once he mastered Deadpool, he kind of brought that personality to nearly every role since. Whether it’s in Red Notice, The Adam Project, or Free Guy, Reynolds always seems to be playing a snarky character. It might show his charisma, and it’s what people like and expect from him, but it also doesn’t show off his full range. The Voices allows Reynolds to really do something different.

Jerry might have some funny moments, but he’s not there specifically to make us laugh. He’s a deeply disturbed individual and Reynolds gets to showcase an ability to walk that line. We have to be able to follow a person doing horrible things and Reynolds does a solid job of making us feel for him while we are also repulsed by the things he’s doing. He also shows off impressive chemistry alongside both Arterton and Kendrick. It’s easily one of the better performances of Reynolds’ career, even if most people don’t know about it.

The actor also showed off a variety of voices to portray the pets in his home, each with their own distinct personality. Beyond Ryan Reynolds’ performance, The Voices is also a well-received movie. It might have a strange premise that drives some viewers away, but those who watch it tend to appreciate it. The film sits at a solid 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and reviews praised how it isn’t afraid to be strange.

Have you seen The Voices? If so, let us know what you thought in the comments.