Before I begin this review I would like to clear something up. Like many, when I saw the trailer for Netflix’s The Silence I assumed that it was a rip off of A Quiet Place. But here’s the thing, The Silence is based on Tom Lebbon’s novel by the same name, the same book The Quiet Place was inspired by. That means that they are adaptations of the same book. Netflix actually began work on The Silence before A Quiet Place even began filming. Even though there are similarities, the two films are pretty different when it comes to the story. What I’m saying is, The Silence is NOT a ripoff.
What are the similarities between The Silence and The Quiet Place? First, they both feature creatures that attack when they hear a noise, but the creatures are very different. Both films to feature deaf characters and a family on the run. There are also two children in each movie. That’s it. Otherwise, they are different.
The Cast of The Silence is impressive, featuring not one, but two Chilling Adventures of Sabrina stars, Kiernan Shipka and Miranda Otto as daughter and mother. Shipka plays the role of Ally Andrews, a teen who lost her ability to hear after a car accident. Her young brother Jude (Kyle Breitkopf) is a scrappy little guy who wants to help protect his family. Iconic actor Stanley Tucci stars as Hugh, the protective father to Ally and Jude. Kate Trotter and John Corbett co-star.
When a group of spelunkers is exploring a new cave system, they unwittingly unleash a huge flock of flying creatures that hunt by sound. As they descend on cities and towns they leave only dead bodies behind.
The Andrews family decide to get out of the city and search for a quiet place to hide, not knowing that the creatures aren’t the only danger they will have to survive as a cult sets its sights on Ally.
Director John R. Leonetti’s The Silence is filled with viciousness, from the creatures to the cult. There is no shortage of death and destruction in this flick. When it comes to the creatures, the blood, and gore, the special effects are fantastic and realistic. The creatures are so well designed. They appear to be a twist on Pterodactyls, but they’re smaller and their heads are dome-shaped.
The cinematography by Michael Galbraith was beautifully shot. The beauty of the film’s main location was stunning like somewhere you could picture your self hiding for the rest of your life.
The plot is interesting and yes, it’s different than A Quiet Thing. The edition of the cult really upped the creepy factor. Billy MacLellan hit the nail on the head. Something about the silence really made The Reverand even more threatening. I won’t get into the phone scene (don’t want to spoil it for you), but damn. That was cold.
I do however have one issue with the movie, the ending felt a bit anticlimactic. Half the movie is building up to the confrontation between the family and the cult, but the climax lasts all of three minutes if that. And it was in the dark, so some of the action can’t be seen in detail.
Overall, I truly enjoyed The Silence. It kept me invested until the end, so I’m going to give it a score of 4 1/2 out of 5. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It’s now streaming on Netflix.
