In a house of stone, whispers of the past can be louder than the silence of the present.
Voice from the Stone (2017) is a gothic psychological thriller directed by Eric D. Howell, adapted from Silvio Raffo’s novel. Set in the haunting landscape of 1950s Tuscany, the film follows Verena, a young nurse played by Emilia Clarke, who is called to a remote castle to care for a boy who has stopped speaking after the death of his mother. What begins as a simple case of grief soon turns into something far more chilling and inexplicable.
Verena is drawn deeper into the boy’s world, where silence dominates and whispers seem to echo through the stone walls of the ancient estate. She begins to suspect that the boy believes his mother’s spirit is still present, communicating with him from beyond. As she tries to heal him, Verena herself becomes entangled in a web of supernatural forces, testing her mind, her resolve, and her understanding of life and death.
The film is as much about atmosphere as it is about narrative. Moody cinematography, shadowed corridors, and an unsettling score create a sense of dread and allure, pulling the audience into the psychological uncertainty that Verena faces. Emilia Clarke’s performance brings both fragility and strength, embodying a woman caught between reason and the possibility of the unseen.
Voice from the Stone is not a traditional horror film but rather a slow-burn exploration of grief, memory, and the thin veil between the living and the dead. It leaves audiences with lingering questions—about love that endures beyond mortality and the voices that remain when silence falls.
