PLOT: A charming but miserable drunk runs a wildlife sanctuary, where unbeknownst to him, a masked killer is hunting young girls for sport. And before you ask, this film does not have Ice-T anywhere in it. Trust me, I looked.
LOWDOWN: This may be an oddly specific subgenre to love, but I’ve always dug the story idea of ‘hunting man.’ Whether it be by aliens (PREDATOR), Twitter (THE HUNT), or Rutger Hauer and Gary Busey (SURVIVING THE GAME), any time these types of movies come around I’m always game to sit down, mix a cocktail and enjoy.
THE SILENCING (WATCH IT HERE) which releases in theaters, On Demand, and on digital TODAY (August 14), is directed by Robin Pront, who did the impressive and moody thriller THE ARDENNES. So without knowing much, I walked in (or sat on my couch, honestly) assured that I’d be treated to some exquisite tension along with a proven eye for style. THE SILENCING ends up being far more of a detective story and the characters that inhabit it than anything resembling hunting humans for sport. I didn’t quite get the movie I was expecting, but what did I think in the end? Grab a Bourbon, a Scotch, and a cold beer so we can delve into what I can best describe as a visually stunning yet entertaining mess.
First things first; THIS is how you shoot a moody murder whodunit. Between the industrial Indian reservation, the adjacent small working-class town, and the eerie wildlife sanctuary, everything in this movie looked the part and felt gritty, grounded, and beautifully realized. Robin Pront and cinematographer Manuel Dacosse did wonders here with the look. They had me stupidly grinning in appreciation of its painting-esq cinematography (the road flare glow in the forest, for example). Filmed in Ontario and British Columbia (what isn’t?), the forest scenes alone showed a sense of dread with a sharp direction. We get some damn fine eye candy with this Canadian flick, or as Van Morrison once put it, “Just like honey from the bee.”
When it comes to the cast, everyone stands to the occasion and sells the hell out of this sad tale. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau totally becomes the drinking, self-absorbed Rayburn. Between his thousand-yard stare and defeated posture, I instantly connected and loved the guy (pour a little out for my man Rayburn and his troubles). Annabelle Wallis commanded the screen as the tough steely-eyed new Sherrif (Gustafson), who’s a bit more complicated than we are lead to believe (hint – she doesn’t f*ck around). She splits the story with Nikolaj, and it’s her story as much as it is his. Last but never least, is the man himself, Zahn McClarnon, as Blackhawk. A side character mostly, but I’ve loved this man ever since I discovered Hanzee Dent on FARGO. He doesn’t get much to do besides proving he’s one stone-cold mother f*cker when needed and has a level of self-assurance that should be studied and taught, but makes any film he’s in instantly better. Blackhawk even gets a scene where he pulls the tried-and-true “I’m in charge now” line and checks Gustafson’s ego real quick. I love this guy!
I do have some issues and need to get a few things off my chest. My biggest problem with THE SILENCING (and where it drops the ball, IMO) is its script. This may be the first time I’ve said this, but there’s TOO much meat on the bone to consume. For a ninety-minute movie, we have many stories to tell, making for a lot of rushed and foolish character decisions. What could have been stretched out into a mini-series ends up being awkwardly crammed into the standard feature-length. Because of story cramming, we get people showing up out of nowhere (time is very flimsy here), not calling for back-up EVER and flesh wounds that seem to heal overnight (we get a limp for two scenes that should have lasted months).
I feel like this sprints to the finish line, and it ends up mudding up a great idea with clichés and generic character actions that would be better suited on a CBS drama. Also, and this is no knock to the actors, but a southern United States accent is hard for even native speakers. What is attempted here is noble but extremely distracting. Everyone starts red-neck but ends up speaking a mix between heartland mid-west and Canadian by the end. It’s not a deal-breaker, but I’m a bit annoyed that no one challenges a poor American accent (it’s not just this film but MOST), and THE SILENCING is littered with suspicious ones throughout.
GORE: We get some gnarly throat surgery, some stabbings, and a healthy amount of arrows piercing flesh. This isn’t overly gory, but it has its heart in the right place.
BOTTOM LINE: I’m conflicted because there is a lot I like about THE SILENCING and when it works… It f*cking works! But this tries to do so much that it ends up tripping over its own feet and creating issues when there shouldn’t be any. Dumb decisions get made because of an unnecessary rush when we could have a longer movie that would have fleshed out motivations and actions. If you want to keep all of these storylines, then that would be the route to go and would have altered everything for the better. Maybe there’s an extended director cut out there? Who knows, but one can hope. For me, the good does outweigh the bad, and I can ignore some of its more “generic” tendencies, and enjoy this as a cool, well-shot killer flick on VOD.