In Danielle Nicolet’s Long Time Listener, a true-crime world built on podcasts, gossip, and secret grudges turns into the perfect breeding ground for bloodshed. Genesis Taylor (Meagan Holder) hosts the true-crime podcast Something to Stalk About, which, at its height, was the top podcast in her region. But that was then, and ratings are down. Her boss, Ruby (Lisha Wheeler), wants a major change in direction, and the future of the show suddenly looks shaky. As if by magic, during a live broadcast, Genesis gets a call from a man claiming to be a “long-time listener,” and what begins as a creepy caller turns out to be either a crime in progress or an elaborate hoax.
The creepy call becomes a viral moment for Genesis, making Ruby more than happy. In the meantime, her podcast co-host, Max (Cleo Berry), and engineer Carter (Lyriq Bent) stir up a little trouble of their own. Max pissed off Ruby at an office function and is the first to be fired if ratings refuse to stay up. Carter and Genesis used to date until Genesis started dating Elle (Danielle Nicolet)… who hasn’t returned any of Genesis’s phone calls. Also, at the beginning of the film, Elle is attacked by the “long-time listener.”
Just as things are starting to look up for Genesis, Ruby is murdered at the station, which has the entire true-crime staff anxious to solve this very real crime.
“…what begins as a creepy caller turns into either a crime in progress or an elaborate hoax.”
In her directorial debut, Danielle Nicolet’s Long Time Listener is a gripping killer thriller. Intense moments reveal crucial clues or deliver jump scares, set in a room full of suspects and featuring a podcasting sleuth trying to unravel the mystery. At its core, it highlights an attractive cast of characters hiding secrets while pretending to be friends.
The script by John Doolan and Joe Narode delivers the goods and, thankfully, never tries to overcomplicate itself. There’s a mystery: which of my friends… or forgotten acquaintances did it, and why? It also points out that it’s never a good idea to sleep with your co-workers.
The greatest strength of Long Time Listener is its cast. Like a good mystery, every character is a distinct personality with distinct motives. Like any good noir, these characters are flawed in significant ways. My favorite pair is Danielle Nicolet and Cleo Berry as Elle and Max. They have the unenviable task of dishing out the tea… or what writers call a good amount of exposition, and the two make it fun.
Long Time Listener is a solid start for Danielle Nicolet, who made the right decision in giving audiences a fun time with an accent of murder and death. As a film, it’s a good-looking mystery with a nostalgic 90s thriller feel.
"…a gripping killer thriller."
