The Silence

This summer i have worked for 20 years in health care, and i love helping people who are in need of help. No matter what diagnose someone has, i respect every person. Now, there is especially one subject that comes to my mind, how shallow some people are about handicapped people. In my experience, i see handicapped people as normal as anyone else. Even if they may be handicapped ( where some might even need help to function in their ordinary day life ), they have the right to live as good as anyone else. So never judge anyone unless you know them. There are many different ways that a person can be handicapped. Some might have a disease, while some are born with a certain diagnose. But not everyone who is handicapped have a disease, let´s say if you are born deaf. There could be different reasons to why this happened, but these people who are born this way can find their way in society, have a job they love, have children and live a family life. When it comes to film that takes on deaf people, we have some titles to choose between. But i think this time i will only pick one really good title. Last year in spring, a film called A Quiet Place was released in Cinemas. This is a very well made horror film, that had a different approach than most horror films. The plot is basically that if you make any noices, big monsters will kill you. So you can´t speak loud, you can´t use any machines, and have to find a way to survive as quiet as possible. This film is directed by John Krasinski ( who have been an actor in a lot of films, such as 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi ), and i have to say this is one of the most effective horror films of 2018. John have clearly worked hard to make the plot feel effective, and he knows how to combine CGI effects with powerful acting scenes. One of the biggest surprises with A Quiet Place, is the character known as Regan Abbott, played by wonderful actress Millicent Simmonds. Her performance in this film is really good, and she gives a very realistic view on how it is to live as a deaf person. In late 2018, i started reading online about a new Netflix film that was going to be released in April, called The Silence. When i read what the plot is about, i could see that this film could be interesting. I was actually supposed to review the Netflix film Bird Box a while ago, but choosed to do The Silence instead. Is this an unexpected good horror film, or is The Silence a film you should skip on your Netflix account ?

A cave research team unearths an unkown species of pterosaur-like creatures, referred to as " vesps " from a mine. These creatures attack if they hear any kind of sound, and anyone can be a victim unless they find a way to stay away from these creatures. Ally Andrews ( Kiernan Shipka ) is a young girl who lost her hearing in a car accident, who lives with her parents Hugh Andrews ( Stanley Tucci ), Kelly Andrews ( Miranda Otto ), her little brother Jude Andrews ( Kyle Harrison Breitkopf ) and her maternal grandmother Lynn ( Kate Trotter ). When the family see on TV that an emergency broadcast is live, they realize that they need to move to a different location. They head to the countryside to a house where they believe they will be safe. But even if they think they should be safe, how will they survive without using any sound at all ?

Since i really enjoyed A Quiet Place, i feel like The Silence have a similar idea within this film. There are a few differences of course, but you can tell that the plot feels similar in some ways. With that said, i can´t say that The Silence is as good as A Quiet Place. But as a horror film, there are some positive details we should talk about. Let´s start with the acting. Lead actress Shiernan Kipka, who plays the deaf daughter Ally Andrews. I feel that she is the most interesting character in this film. She is a young woman who clearly tries to do her best, to find her way in life. Shiernan gives her character Ally a solid personality, and you feel connected to her in some ways, especially for us who have hearing problems. Legendary actor Stanley Tucci ( who you may have seen in a number of great films such as Road To Perdition and The Hunger Games ), plays the father Hugh, and i have to say that Stanley really gives a strong performance here, perhaps one of his best performances in recent years ( his best performance ever so far is in the 2015 drama known as Spotlight, a must see ). Actress Miranda Otto ( who you might remember from The Lords Of The Rings sequels, and of course in the great western film The Homesman ) delivers Another solid performance in this film as well. The bat looking creatures that attack in this film actually works pretty effective in the horror scenes. I would not call them original in any way, but they work well with the plot. I also think this film manage to capture the feeling of fear, not knowing if you will survive. My only problem with The Silence is that this film is not as effective as A Quiet Place. You never really feel terrified as you did while watching A Quiet Place. Other than that i think The Silence is still a well made horror film, that works especially thanks to the great cast. Director John R. Leonetti ( who directed the first Anabelle film, and produced the film Piranha 3D ) have made his best film so far, if you look at his catalogue of films he have directed. He gives The Silence a great look, and the right atmosphere that a horror film like this needs to feel effective. If you love monsters, and horror films in general, i think you will have a good time with The Silence. This is a film that in some ways feels like a throwback to the horror films of the 80´s and the 90´s, and i appreciate that. One thing is clear, i will never go exploring a cave after seeing this film.

Rating: DDD