Netflix has released its new original horror film ‘The Silence’ based on the 2015 horror novel of the same name by Tim Lebbon.
When two explorers break open a cave wall, little did they know that not only they’d be discovering a new section of the cave, but that they would also be creating an open hole for bat-like creatures to be released into the wild that would bring havoc across the globe.
Once news breaks loose that these creatures are killing thousands of people, Hugh Andrews played by Stanley Tucci rounds up his family to pack their bags and prepare to leave for safety. Hugh still being unsure what his family is running from, learns that these creatures hunt their prey by following sound. Remaining in silence comes easy to the Andrews family as their daughter Ally played by Kernan Shipka is deaf and the family communicate with each other via sign language. Seeking shelter and protection, the family must learn to survive in silence to stay alive and out of danger from the flying creatures, and anyone who crosses their path.
While I haven’t read the novel, everything about this movie made me compare it to ‘A Quiet Place’ which was released a year ago in April, 2018. The story was so similar as both families hide in silence from creatures that hunt by sensing sound. Each film even having a deaf daughter character. The film had its moments which were entertaining to watch, but it almost felt like every scene happened too quickly that there wasn’t enough time input into building suspense scenes or emotional depth. Before I knew it, the film was over and made me question everything I just had watched.
Stanley Tucci is by far the stand out in The Silence, then again in most films that he is in, I find Tucci always impressive. Despite Tucci’s glowing performance, his co-star John Corbett who plays Hugh’s best friend Glenn, couldn’t seem to deliver a believable, relatable character that I would have liked.
Sadly, The Silence didn’t really do it for me. I would recommend this movie to anyone who hasn’t seen ‘A Quiet Place’ already, for fans of the horror novel, or for Netflix subscribers who are curious in seeing this flick and have nothing else to watch.
The Silence is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.