Touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it, turn it, leave it, start-format it. Those are the great and catchy words of Busta Rhyme’s song, Touch it. However, it was one of the first weird things that came into my mind as I saw the movie poster for Whistle. It wasn’t that long ago I remembered watching Talk to Me, in which teenagers were able to interact with ghosts and spirits by shaking a severed hand. Here in Whistle, teenagers get to whistle into an ancient-looking skull artifact instead to bring about their doom. While Whistle hits every single teen horror movie cliché there is, it was a surprisingly fun watch. It sticks with the same tried and true formula of just about every other similar horror movie, like those that came before it.

It’s 2026, and these movies just still can’t help themselves but start in the exact same and uninspiring fashion as the ones that came before it. We first get introduced to the “artifact” or horror element and how it works and then some poor unfortunate soul will have to perish and die horribly so the audience members are reminded that this is a scary movie, in case they had something else in mind. Of course, we then fast-forward in time to the present, maybe 3-6 months to a year later? We then get introduced to our main character, who, of course, is likely a socially awkward teenager with a troubled past who has just moved into the neighborhood and, of course, starts at a new school. Any chance this character will get bullied, picked on, or made fun of by the jocks or other popular kids? Why, of course! It’s a movie with teenagers in it. It wouldn’t be complete if there wasn’t some form of bullying involved!

OK, enough whining. So the premise is anyone who blows on the ancient skull summons death itself to come for the blower. Somehow, the person will die however they will die in the future, as if their life had been allowed to continue. Blowing on the skull just allows death to find you a lot sooner. OK, so not too bad. I can get with that. I think the only two deaths that weren’t explained were for Dean and Noah. As to Dean, was he supposed to have died in a train or plane accident? His death scene was in his room, and I think it looks like his body was slowly getting ripped apart by a violent force or something. I thought I heard train sounds but can’t be sure. As to Noah, I honestly have no clue. It shows a future version of himself that looks all bloated. As he was a pill and drug seller, I assume that future version of him is from a drug overdose or something?

Whistle like I mentioned earlier, is a quick, fun movie. It’s exactly what many would have expected for these types of teen horror movies. Everything is cliché, right down to the ending!