The Silence (2019)

Ever since the trailer release and early word, or should I say ‘hype’, about The Silence, there were significant comparisons and whispers that it heavily copies, ahem… borrows from, films like A Quiet Place [read review HERE] and another most recent Netflix mega-hit, Bird Box [read review HERE]. Similarly to Bird Box, The Silence is based on a novel, released in 2015, only one year after Bird Box (the novel), from writer Tim Lebbon. While some similarities can be better disguised in the written form and not so blatantly recall the memories of novels preceding, it simply does not work as effectively in a visual format, where there is nowhere to hide. The result being, that The Silence basically looks like what would would have happened had A Quiet Place and Bird Box produced an offspring and, due to complications at birth, said offspring was never quite right.

Director John R. Leonetti, who is mostly known for sequels (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Butterfly Effect 2) and more recent horror flicks which borrow heavily from concepts created by other releases (Annabelle, Wolves at the Door, Wish Upon) does a good enough job with regard to production value, but while such blatant attempt to ride other films’ considerable waves can pass as ‘homage’ at the shallow end of the indie pool, it is simply much less forgivable with a budget which was likely somewhere in the millions.

The film stars the very capable Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones, several instalments of The Hunger Games and Transformers franchises), and the largely underutilised Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersand Return of the King, I Frankenstein, Annabelle: Creation), Kiernan Shipka (Carreirs, the excellent The Blackcoat’s Daughter, TV’s Mad Men, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 & 2, The Boy Next Door, TV’s Northern Exposure, Sex & The City, Parenthood). Tucci has been always a favourite of mine, as is Otto, but the only one who seemed to try and bring a little life to their role was Corbett and therefore, was the only character I found myself caring about, even a little.

Even if we agree to set aside and completely ignore the all-too-obvious fact that this film is no more than a copycat, there are still various other issues. It just lacks an interesting enough story, any energy or a consistent pace and it simply felt rushed. The script adaptation leaves even the lesser proficient film viewer completely apathetic to the film’s lacklustre characters. A couple of dramatic scenes held some interest, involving a dog and a baby, but then the camera simply goes elsewhere and moves on and any dramatic effect is simply wasted. 

The introduction of the now somewhat cliché “other survivors might be more dangerous than the creatures”, came in way too late in the game and was never touched on in any depth. Therefore, the villain-type character coming from that direction, which showed some interesting potential, also seemed forced and inauthentic.

So, although I can’t claim that this film is a complete disaster, I also cannot, in good faith, call it a good film for the abovementioned reasons. By today’s standards, with such inadequacies, I’m sure a sequel is not entirely out of the question.

Inconsistent and lazy. 5/10.