The Silence Review: Generic, Boring Apocalyptic Thriller

BOTTOM LINE: An Apocalyptic Survival Drama That Neither Has the Thrills nor the Tension

Rating: 1/5

Platform: Netflix

Genre: Thriller

What is the Story about?

Cut from the same cloth as John Krasinski’s really terrifying A Quiet Place, John Leonetti’s very generic and boring The Silence is also set against the backdrop of a sound-apocalyptic world where hordes of sound-sensitive creatures called Vesps, which escape from a cave and have wiped out the bulk of humanity.

The story revolves around a family of five – headed by Hugh Andrews (Stanley Tucci), who venture in the woods, in search of a place where there is less noise to draw the monsters. As a family, they manage to stick together without drawing the attention of the creatures because each of its members knows the American Sign Language. They were forced to learn after their teenage daughter lost her hearing in a car accident.

Performances?

In a film where the actors are mostly required to look terrified and run for cover, one can’t expect great performances. As the head of the family who has to look after everyone, even if it means risking his own life, Stanley Tucci plays his part fittingly and leaves no room for criticism. However, in an otherwise bland film with sloppy writing, his performance doesn’t quite make much of a difference.

Kiernan Shipka of Mad Men fame plays Ally, the teenage daughter with heightened perception of sound, shines in a couple of scenes.

Analysis?

For an apocalyptic thriller, The Silence needed to have more thrills. It has fleeting shots of tension and terror but if you take out these moments, it’s a very generic and boring film that makes A Quiet Place look like nothing less than a work of art.

When it comes to horror movies featuring creatures, their size really matters. From Jaws to Godzilla to Birds and Gremlins, the size of these creatures really made a difference. The Vesps in The Silence come across as zombie version of bats and they rarely look threatening.

Highlights?

None

Drawbacks?

Dreary screenplay
Lack of thrills

Will you recommend it?

Best if avoided

Review by Haricharan Pudipeddi