It starts with a pink jumpsuit. You see Ryan Reynolds, looking every bit the charming leading man we know from Deadpool, but something is fundamentally "off" about the lighting in the factory where he works. Then the cat starts talking. When the first movie The Voices trailer dropped back in 2014, people didn't really know how to categorize it. Was it a romantic comedy? A psychological thriller? A neon-drenched fever dream about a serial killer who just wants to be a "good boy"?
Honestly, it’s all of those things. Directed by Marjane Satrapi—the brilliant mind behind Persepolis—the film remains one of the most misunderstood entries in modern genre cinema. It’s a movie that asks you to empathize with Jerry, a man who stops taking his antipsychotic medication and starts taking advice from his foul-mouthed cat, Mr. Whiskers, and his benevolent, slow-witted dog, Bosco.
Looking back at that original teaser, you realize how much it hid. It marketed the film with a certain whimsical energy, leaning into the bright colors and Reynolds' inherent likability. But the reality of The Voices is much grimmer. It’s a masterclass in subjective filmmaking, where the audience is forced to see the world through Jerry’s eyes—until the camera shifts, the "filter" drops, and we see the rotting, blood-stained reality of his apartment.
The Disconnect Between the Trailer and the Terror
Most trailers try to sell you a vibe. The movie The Voices trailer sold a high-concept dark comedy. You see Jerry asking out his office crush, Fiona (played by Gemma Arterton), and you see the talking pets. It feels quirky.
But then the tone shifts.
The editing gets faster. You see hints of a knife, a deer in the road, and the mounting pressure on Jerry’s psyche. What the trailer couldn't fully convey—and what makes the movie a cult classic—is the sheer loneliness of the protagonist. Jerry isn't a monster in his own mind. He’s a guy trying to stay upbeat in a world that feels increasingly hostile.
Critics like Rotten Tomatoes’ aggregate reviewers often pointed out that the film's "fluctuating tones" were jarring. That’s exactly the point. Satrapi used the vibrant, candy-colored palette to represent Jerry's delusions. When he's "on" his meds, the world is grey, boring, and sad. When he's "off," the sun shines brighter, the butterflies are everywhere, and his severed heads in the fridge tell him jokes.
It’s a gutsy move. Most directors would play this for pure horror. Satrapi plays it for tragedy.
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Why Ryan Reynolds Was the Only Choice
Think about Reynolds' career before 2014. He was the Van Wilder guy. He was the Green Lantern guy (for better or worse). He had this "Type A" charisma that usually felt untouchable. The Voices stripped that away.
In the trailer, you see him stuttering. You see the vulnerability in his eyes. It’s arguably his most nuanced performance because he has to play two versions of Jerry simultaneously: the sweet, well-meaning factory worker and the broken man who is losing his grip on reality.
He also voiced the pets. That’s a detail many people missed when first watching the movie The Voices trailer. Reynolds provided the Scottish accent for the nihilistic Mr. Whiskers and the deep, soulful voice for Bosco. This wasn't just a gimmick; it reflected the fact that these "voices" were just extensions of Jerry’s own fractured personality. He was arguing with himself the whole time.
The Visual Language of Jerry’s World
Satrapi’s background as a graphic novelist is all over this film. If you pause the trailer at the 1:12 mark, you see the symmetrical framing of the Milton bathtub factory. It looks like a Wes Anderson set gone wrong.
The color theory here is fascinating:
- Pink: Represents Jerry's forced optimism and his job.
- Red: Blood, obviously, but also the reality he tries to ignore.
- Grey/Brown: The "real" world that Jerry finds unbearable.
Most horror movies use shadows to scare you. The Voices uses bright lights. It’s terrifying because there is nowhere to hide from Jerry’s sunny disposition. When he kills, he’s genuinely sorry. He’s crying. He’s trying to figure out how to "fix" things, which usually involves more Tupperware and more conversations with the cat.
The Supporting Cast: More Than Just Victims
Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton bring a lot of weight to a movie that could have easily become a one-man show. Kendrick, specifically, plays Lisa, the "nice girl" who represents a real chance at redemption for Jerry.
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In the trailer, her scenes are framed like a standard rom-com. They go to a bar. They talk about their feelings. It creates a false sense of security for the viewer. You want Jerry to be okay. You want him to find love. But the film refuses to give you that easy out. It reminds us that Jerry is dangerous, regardless of how much we like him.
Jacki Weaver also appears as Jerry's therapist, Dr. Warren. Her scenes provide the only grounded perspective in the film. She represents the "medicated" world—the one Jerry is running away from. Her concern feels real, which adds a layer of dread that the trailer only skims over.
Why We Still Talk About The Voices in 2026
It’s been over a decade since the film debuted at Sundance, yet it feels more relevant now than ever. In an era where "prestige horror" and "elevated slasher" movies are everywhere, The Voices remains a weird, unclassifiable outlier.
It didn't do massive numbers at the box office. It was a "VOD" hit before that was even the standard way to consume indie films. But its influence is everywhere. You can see DNA of The Voices in shows like Barry or movies like Joker, where the protagonist's internal reality is the primary setting.
The movie The Voices trailer is a time capsule of a moment when Ryan Reynolds was willing to take massive risks. Before he became a global brand with Deadpool and Red Notice, he was an actor willing to play a guy who talks to a sock puppet and keeps heads in his refrigerator.
It’s a reminder that horror is often most effective when it’s rooted in something deeply human—like the desire to be liked, the fear of being alone, and the voices in our heads that tell us we’re doing just fine, even when the world is falling apart.
What to Look for if You Re-watch the Trailer
If you’re going back to watch the teaser today, pay attention to the sound design. The way the cat’s purr is mixed with the sound of a sharpening knife. The way the upbeat music slightly de-tunes as the trailer progresses.
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It’s subtle, but it’s there. The trailer was telling us the truth all along; we just wanted to believe in the pink jumpsuit and the funny cat.
Actionable Insights for Movie Fans
If this deep dive into the movie The Voices trailer has sparked your interest, here is how to get the most out of your next viewing:
- Watch for the "Lens Shift": Pay close attention to the scenes where Jerry enters his apartment. Notice how the lighting and cleanliness change depending on whether he has taken his pills. This visual storytelling is some of the best in the genre.
- Listen to the Pet Voices: Knowing that Ryan Reynolds voiced both the dog and the cat changes the entire dynamic. Listen for the subtle ways he mimics his own speech patterns in Jerry's dialogue versus the pets'.
- Compare to Modern "Subjective" Horror: Watch The Voices alongside a film like The Father or Midsommar. Each uses different visual techniques to trap the audience inside a character's specific, often distorted, headspace.
- Track the Color Pink: From the factory uniforms to the plastic containers, see how many times the color pink is used to mask something horrific. It’s a recurring motif that highlights the theme of "forced happiness."
The film is currently available on various streaming platforms like Pluto TV or for rent on Amazon. It’s well worth the 103 minutes, if only to see a Hollywood superstar give the weirdest, bravest performance of his career.
Just don't listen to your cat.
Seriously.