Whisper Breach

As the debate rages on about the impact of AI on our society, particularly within the film industry, filmmaker Craig Cockerill delivers a cool action-thriller that combines a human hero and an AI buddy with Whisper Reach. And, with the tagline “AI Has a Dark Side”, we kinda know where this one is going, but it’s a fun ride to be on. 

Mike Markoff (excellent in When Jack Came Back) plays Kent Collins, an ex-Navy SEAL whose peaceful retirement is disturbed when his partner, Sandy (Chelsea Gilson) commits suicide after a terminal diagnosis. When offered the exciting opportunity of testing a sophisticated AI software developed by his old friend Winston (Garon Grigsby), this could be just the operation to pull our protagonist from the depths of his grief. However, the military implications of Winston’s AI, known as WP, make it a hot property with plenty of baddies lining up to take control of it. 

As a debut feature, Cockerill shows himself to be a capable pair of hands when it comes to delivering the goods that audiences will expect from a movie in this genre. It has the emotional grounding of Kent and Sandy’s relationship, it has the intrigue of WP and all of his capabilities (e.g. hacking local cameras, getting a congressman fired within 12 hours, or paying the delivery woman a massive tip), and it has cajones when things get physical. The “black ops” type storyline he shoots for is impressively delivered for the most part. 

The performances are solid, with Markoff giving a Tom Cruise-type energy that aligned perfectly with the Mission: Impossible-esque movie being presented. His character has to deal with a number of twists and turns as the manipulative and powerful AI takes control of his life and Markoff stands up to this challenge brilliantly. Chelsea Gilson, for the limited number of scenes she is in, is excellent. From the opening sequence of her blasting a gun at a shooting range with mascara running down her face, to her loving jibes at Kent on their small fishing boat, she is a terrific on-screen presence. Garon Grigsby sweeps in as an uncertain yet intriguing presence, only really going off the rails in the final ten minutes as the storyline unravelled slightly. 

For a low-budget action thriller, Whisper Breach makes a lot of smart choices. The locations are great, the interaction between Kent and WP felt engaging, where it could so easily have been clinical and uncinematic. The score was a little on the nose at times, but it did well to heighten the tension when needed and keep up with the frenetic pace of the plot. 

A stronger and more satisfying ending was needed, however, audiences will likely be far too invested in the outcome and their own deep-seated fears about AI by that point to care too much. It’s a timely and well-crafted indie film that delivers explosive action and thrills.