The Silence (2019)
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A deaf teenager must navigate a world where soundless survival is the only way to escape sound-hunting creatures.
The story
After a cave research team unearths a species of sound-hunting creatures known as 'Vesps', the world falls into chaos. Ally Andrews, a deaf teenager, lives with her family who are forced to flee the cities to escape the monsters. The family travels to the countryside, discovering that the Vesps are blind and hunt exclusively by sound. As they navigate the gridlocked highways and rural wilderness, they must remain silent to survive. However, they soon encounter religious cults that believe the creatures are divine punishment, adding a layer of human threat to the biological one.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A cave research team unearths 'Vesps,' pterosaur-like creatures that hunt by sound. Ally Andrews, a deaf teenager, flees the cities with her parents Hugh and Kelly, her grandmother Lynn, her brother Jude, and their dog Otis. During their journey, they witness the death of their friend Glenn and the killing of Otis. Hugh realizes the Vesps are blind and they must remain silent. They find shelter in a compound but are attacked; Kelly is bitten. While searching for antibiotics, Ally finds Vesp eggs in corpses and encounters 'The Hushed,' a cult that views the Vesps as divine. The cult's reverend intends to use Ally as a sex slave. After a series of harrowing encounters, including the sacrifice of Lynn to save Ally from the cult, the family manages to kill the cult members and the reverend. Weeks later, the family reaches 'The Refuge' in Alaska. Ally reunites with her boyfriend Rob and kills the remaining Vesps with arrows, reflecting on whether humans or the creatures will ultimately adapt to the new world.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English; American Sign Language
- Directors
- John R. Leonetti
- Writers
- Carey Van Dyke · writer; Shane Van Dyke · writer
- Cast and characters
- Kiernan Shipka · Ally Andrews; Stanley Tucci · Hugh Andrews; Miranda Otto · Kelly Andrews; Kate Trotter · Lynn; John Corbett · Glenn; Kyle Harrison Breitkopf · Jude Andrews; Dempsey Bryk · Rob; Billy MacLellan · The Reverend
- Genres
- post-apocalyptic horror; monster movies; horror films; science fiction horror films
- Themes
- survival; religious fanaticism; disability; evolution
- Tone and mood
- dark; gory; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- monster movie; cult; deaf protagonist; survival horror
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2015 horror novel of the same name by Tim Lebbon
- Reception
- The film received generally unfavorable reviews, with critics describing it as a derivative and dull retread of similar premises, though it was noted for its production values and cast.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · review count: 37; Metacritic · score: 25 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The creatures are named 'vesps' after the Spanish avispa, meaning wasps.; Principal photography began in Toronto in September 2017.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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