“Listen Carefully” Falls Prey to Oddity

Listen Carefully (Ryan Barton-Grimley, 2024) 2 out of 5 stars

In his newest film, Listen Carefully, director and lead actor Ryan Barton-Grimley (Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers) tells a story about Andy McNeary (Barton-Grimley), a failing bank manager and father who is tasked with babysitting his daughter while his wife (Simone Barton-Grimley) takes off for the night. Shortly afterwards, Andy discovers that his daughter has been kidnapped. His only lead? A voice coming across the baby monitor that tells him that he will never see his daughter again unless he follows specific instructions. Will Andy get his daughter back safely? And what of all the weird flashbacks he experiences?

On the upside, Listen Carefully is a wildly strange and mesmerizing psychological thriller, sending the viewer down a disorienting path alongside a dynamic and relatable Andy. The protagonist is a seemingly innocent man with a dark secret, which increases the tension. The premise immediately introduces high stakes, and the search for his baby daughter leads to a cat-and-mouse narrative. I also enjoy the various sub-plot phone calls Andy answers throughout the night from his wife and “Frank,” the security guy, as well as the brief run-ins Andy has with his co-workers. Certainly there is a great deal of character building accomplished as the film progresses (even as Barton-Grimley’s performance leaves much to be desired), and with a few eye-popping plot twists along the way, Listen Carefully offers plenty to exhilarate the viewer.

Sadly, what throws this otherwise riveting story off is Barton-Grimley’s persistent and strange dream/vision sequences. Even before the premise is introduced, Andy starts getting unexplainable visions of violence and gore that are no doubt effective in disorienting the viewer. However, the key to these flashes is that they typically lead somewhere. Not only do these visions distract from the initially riveting plotline, but towards the film’s finale, they never truly reveal their purpose, whether they were figments of Andy’s imagination, suppressed emotion, or events from Andy’s past or future.

Their ambiguity disrupts the story, and with the exception of some bloody imagery to add thrills, the senselessness behind these moments takes away from the dramatic cohesion. The end result is that we are left with far too many unnecessary questions by the time Andy’s story comes to a close. Listen Carefully has immense potential and about a good solid first half that is entertaining through all its flaws.

Adam Vaughn

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.