On the silver screen, psychological mystery thrillers – kinky or otherwise, whether major studio or independent – have always been popular, and the early-to-mid 1990s produced more than their fair share. For example, recognize the following: "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), "Basic Instinct" (1992), "Jennifer Eight" (1992), "Sliver" (1993), "Color of Night" (1994), "Knight Moves" (1995), and "Copycat" (1995). In "Whispers in the Dark," Ann Hecker (Annabella Sciorra), who is ending her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Paul, practices as a psychiatrist in Manhattan. She is told by one of her patients, Eve Abergray (Deborah Unger) – attractive but sexually perverted – about her sexual sado-masochistic/bondage practices with her boyfriend. Ann seems to take it all in with high interest. As Ann seems turned on by her own dreams of sexual bondage, she consults with her former therapist (when she attended college) and friend Leo Green (Alan Alda). Another of Ann's patients, Latino Johnny Castillo (John Leguizano), a sadist, likes to paint sexual fantasies (as opposed to acting them out). Both Eve and Johnny are unbalanced, to say the least, and Ann does not seem to have solutions. On one of the office visits, Eve removes most of her clothing and masturbates in front of Ann. The bewildered psychiatrist can only ogle. Later on Johnny C. breaks into Ann's apartment and hogties her for a short time before freeing her and jumping outside her window ledge. Talk about being just a bit troubled!One day Ann sees airplane pilot Doug McDowell (Jamey Sheridan) on the elevator in her office building. Before long the two are dating, but Doug has some dark secrets. One of these is that he is Eve's sexual partner in bondage! When Eve discovers that Ann is dating Doug, she becomes intractable; she steals some files and tapes from Ann's office that she plans to use against the psychiatrist. When Eve is found dead, hanging nude, Ann's suspicions focus on Doug. Enter Detective Larry Morgenstern (Anthony LaPaglia). Morgenstern tries to get Ann to release her office files to him, but Ann will not agree. Nevertheless, Morgenstern is insistent and dogs Ann at every turn. He tells her that he has found the tapes that Eve had stolen. "Those tapes are my property. I'd like them back," she demands. "No! Material evidence in a murder investigation," sneers Morgenstern. After Johnny C. falls from the window ledge to his death, Ann seeks solace with Leo Green, as she did not realize that the sadistically deranged artist had previously tortured many women. "Oh come on," retorts Leo, "a bright psychopath can fool anybody." What! Later this line will make some sense. When Doug takes Ann to visit his mother, Mrs. McDowell, she tells Ann that Doug was once married. His wife Jenny hanged herself after sustaining severe depression. Doug admits that there was violence in the marriage: Jenny attacked him because of his affair with another. Shocked, Ann confides this information to Leo, who in turns relays it to Morgenstern. Ann is disappointed in Leo's action. Before that, Morgenstern had told Ann that as Johnny C.'s alibi checked out with regard to Eve's death, the unhinged artist could not have killed her. Right after Morgenstern is found dead in the airplane hangar of McDowell Aviation. Suspicions continue to focus on Doug. Meanwhile Ann has returned to get solace from Leo and his wife at the Nantucket seashore. There is no reason to expose the last one-fifth of the feature and major twist to the movie. But it can be stated confidentially that there is one turn too many.The main charters here – psychiatrists, patients, and police – are not particularly likable. But the movie features excellent performances by Alan Alda, Anthony La Paglia (the Italian Aussie), and Deborah Unger; Annabella Sciorra is good enough. Jamey Sheridan is hardly appealing: note his large head. Actually his character is quite dubious. The Manhattan camera-shooting is not really used to any specific advantage; there is an aerial shot of Nantucket. Although panned by critics, the feature is still nicely filmed and is attention-getting despite some script weaknesses and a ludicrous double-twisted ending. Just watch it for its entertainment value.

This turned out to be a very sleazy movie. Everybody but Annabella Sciorra's character ("Ann Hecker") talks and acts like a pig. Actually, "Hecker" isn't of the highest character, herself, but at least she doesn't talk like trash. Too bad veterans actors Alan Alda and Jill Clayburgh have to join the sleaze crowd, although the latter certainly was no angel in her 1970s films. Anthony LaPaglia was ridiculously profane but that was normal for his movie characters. He only settled down in recent years when he began starring a television show.Despite the gutter mentality of this story (it isn't just the language), the movie zips along after a slow start and kept your attention. However, it isn't anything memorable, nor recommended.This was a different look for Sciorra: no New York City accent and a different hairstyle. I almost didn't know it was her. Jamey Sheridan, who now contributes to the hit TV show, "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," also stars, as does the always-strange John Leguizamo.

"Whispers in the Dark" clearly was an opportunity to cash in on "Basic Instinct's" success. The film deals both with psychotherapy, and excessive amounts of sex. The character I loved most, and wished that Christopher Crowe would have went into more detail to is Eve (played by sexy Deborah Unger). She brought a sort of sexy aura and comic relief when she appeared on screen. The most funniest scene, however, is when ________ gets hit in the head with ________. I won't say anymore. You'll just have to do the research. 8/10 1992 103 minutes Rated: R CC.

A pretty standard mystery thriller, but absorbing nonetheless. The sometimes impossibly contrived plot is chock-full of strange coincidences and red herrings, but the film is so competently and professionally made that you can ignore the script's weaknesses and enjoy the work of a director who seems to have a genuine feel for the genre. Most of the performances are also very good, giving weight to their roles and making the movie more respectable. (**1/2)