The Voice From the Stone is based on a novel by Silvio Raffo with a heavy Edgar Allan Poe vibe. Set in 1950’s Tuscany, this unexpected psychological thriller leaves you confused and stunned all at the same time. Not knowing the genre of the film, I thought it was going to be a sweet, heartwarming story. The story leads you to believe that as well until the tables turn.

*****SPOILERS AHEAD!!!*****

Nurse Verena(Emilia Clarke) is a traveling nurse who specializing in troubled children. One day she is summoned to a new home where Klaus(Marton Csokas) is in desperate need of her services for his son Jakob(Edward George Dring). Jakob tragically lost his mother 7 months prior and since then has not spoken a word. Klaus states that he’s tried finding a nurse to help but they all leave.

One night Verena wakes up to find a bloody rabbit fur on her bathroom mirror which Jakob and one of the groundsmen killed earlier. Furious she goes rushing into his room to see him with his ear against the stone wall. She pulls him away and confronts his father, Klaus about it the next morning. Klaus explains that Jakob thinks he hears his mother in the stone so everywhere he goes he listens for her.

Another night later Jakob wakes up with night terrors and starts throwing objects around the room and at Verena. After this incident, she tells Klaus that Jakob needs to be put in a hospital and wants to leave. Klaus gave her time to think it over and told her to let him know her decision. Ultimately she ends up staying.

Klaus, being a sculptor, had abandoned his work after his wife, Malvina(Caterina Murino), died. Verena convinces him to start again on a piece of his wife he was sculpting before she died. He obliges and asks her to be his model because they have very similar features. After some thought, she agrees.

After the session, Verena is feeling frisky and well takes care of business in her room. Right at the moment of her climax, she hears a woman’s voice. Startled she goes into the boy’s room and places her ear against the rock to hear the voice again. It was her, Malvina. Shocked she hugs the boy realizing he wasn’t lying the whole time.

This is where things start to get weird. Verena tried on a dress of Malvina’s, at the nudge of Malvina’s mother Lilia(Lisa Gastoni), and started wearing them from that point forward. Verena didn’t want to at first, but the bond that she and Lilia had formed probably convinced her to do so.  I don’t know about you but I don’t think I could do that. I would feel like he would constantly think of her when I wore the clothing and, it’s just weird!

Verena starts to take on the role of Jakob’s mother and even sleeps with Klaus after a sculpting session. She eventually admits to Klaus that the boy isn’t crazy and that she hears the voice now too. Disturbed, Klaus threatens to send Verena away as she’s now become mentally ill and the boy hasn’t improved since her arrival. Verina goes into a panic and runs to the boy’s room. She starts peeling drywall off the stone screaming at it asking what to do. She

Verina goes into a panic and runs to the boy’s room. She starts peeling drywall off the stone screaming at it asking what to do. She runs and finds the boy and begs him to speak so that she can stay. Telling him that they need her and she must stay.

She ends up starting to fall ill and decides to leave as the illness was just the same as his late wife. Barely able to walk she starts running as quickly as she can to escape when she falls and the groundsmen scoops her up. She awakens in the very bed Malvina died in still sick. They force her to drink a concoction they created and she falls back asleep.

The next time her eyes open she’s in a grave being cemented in but she’s paralyzed and can’t move. She looks next to her to find Malvina’s body. Malvina comes alive and caresses her and then the scene darkens.

Plot twist, Verena wakes up except she’s not Verena anymore, she’s Malvina in Verena’s body! The boy speaks and Klaus is thrilled. That means the whole time they were in on the scheme and knew when the right one came along that they could bring Malvina back. Jakob, Klaus, Alessio the groundskeeper, Lilia, and all. Mind blown.

After watching the film I decided to check out the reviews and was surprised to see how low it scored. I honestly thought the film was better than the scores it was receiving. I would give it a 7 out of 10. The acting was great, the plot twist I didn’t see coming until the end, and the way it was uncovered was great.

If you are interested in watching The Voice From the Stone for yourself, it is available to purchase and rent. If you do watch it, I would be curious to know your thoughts on it and what you would score it at. You can also view the trailer below.