"Sound of My Voice" wants you to play a game. You’ll enter when the main characters will enter and see all they get to see, plus a little bit more because this is a friendly game. The game is to figure out if Maggie is telling the truth. She says she’s from the future. Is she?
Peter and Lorna aren’t so sure. Maggie remains a complete mystery and the only way to get close to her is to join her cult — full of secrets and tests and complete devotion. Devotion to the belief, devotion to the secret handshakes, devotion toward complete vulnerability and commitment. Peter and Lorna know this is a dangerous cult preying upon the weak, so they plan to expose it with a documentary.
Like any good game, both sides need a proper chance. There is plenty of evidence that says that Maggie is a fraud while there is enough evidence to say you need more evidence.
The movie is not a very long game. That’s usually a criticism with video games, but with movies it’s nice when the story doesn’t drag itself out. With the case of “Sound of My Voice,” it especially doesn’t feel long because the game ends when the movie ends. There are a few loose ends that can be pieced together after the final scene, but you really just need the time allotted by the credits.
Any lingering effect you’ll have with the movie is that there was a fun time to be had. There’s not much more to the movie, especially not its attempt to examine the deeper struggles of its characters. The most compelling will always be the ones about whom we know less.
In terms of pure plot, “Sound of My Voice” works. The pacing is deliberate and unnerving. All of the twists appear at just the right moment to keep enough people guessing. When the filmmakers do have to offer a little bit of answers, they're mature enough to do it in a visual way instead of an awkward exposition dump.
The game isn’t the most challenging, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun. It probably could have worked even better as a short film, but how it is makes for an enjoyable little story.