• Release year: 2024
• Director: Brad Anderson.
• Producer: Eric Paquette.
• Screenplay by: Dan Hall.
• Cinematography by: Daniel Aranyó.
• Music by: Anton Sanko.

Shotgun Commentary: this is FUN.

Review

The Silent Hour, not to be confused with Silent Night (2023). Same lead actor, but no Christmas on this one. Instead, you get a deaf woman and an almost-deaf detective trying to survive in a building full of armed men trying to kill them. Well, more specifically, her.

Starting with a bang… but not the one you’re expecting

The film begins with the most ridiculous accident imaginable: man runs over car. One would’ve thought that a shooting in between shipping containers would be the perfect opportunity for the protagonist to have an accident that makes him deaf. “No way! Let’s make it way more absurd” – they thought. And that is the spirit with which the rest of the film is made. Now, don’t get confused, the film is amazing. Just make sure that you are the target audience for it, otherwise, you’ll probably give up on minute 2.

For all those of you who are still with me, let’s get into it. Don’t worry, major plot twists, although incredibly predictable, won’t be spoiled here.

Innovation and improvement

One could spend hours and hours picking apart every single detail that is wrong with this film, like silencing a phone in the settings instead of using the lateral buttons just for the sake of adding tension. Then again, that can be said for most action films. Not the phone thing in particular, but similarly ridiculous choices. What can not be said for other films is just how good the story utilises the deafness of the characters. Not as a disability that needs making up for, but as a conduit to enhance the story to unexpected levels.

In this context, it offers the obvious extra thrill of the protagonists having an added difficulty, but it is also a conduit for comedy, a way of connection, and even an asset in certain situations. However, the biggest contribution of this one and only innovation on what is otherwise a very average action film, is its emotional value.

Questionable decisions

Joel Kinnaman is one of those actors that only seem to land action films despite actually having range for other genres. Anyone who’s watched The Killing (2011-2014) knows that he is a pretty good actor, and it is a delight that he gets the opportunity to show a bit of his dramatic skills, even for a second.

A man who seems to be getting more ridiculous roles by the minute is Mark Strong. Lately, all the characters he plays could be the exact same person at different times of his life. Whether that is by choice or not, that is between him and his god, but it is certainly not a good look. Specially since, like Kinnaman, Strong could aspire to so much more.

The key ingredient

Lastly, there is Ava, played by Sandra Mae Frank. She is the witness of a murder, which makes her wanted by the bad guys. Because she was born deaf, she is not only the sidekick of Kinnaman’s character, but also his master in terms of what it means to be deaf and how to come to terms with it.

She provides the thoughtful reflections that balance the mindless violence of your average action flick, and the emotional charge to counter the silly comedy brought to you mostly by the bad guys. You heard right, not only are they not scary, but the villains are actually so ridiculous you can’t help but feel a bit of second-hand embarrassment for them. In fact, it is their absurdity, along with the protagonist’s emotional journey, that imbues the feature of a strangely wholesome quality.

All in all, The Silent Hour is an action film that has managed to stand out from the countless mass-produced action films that blur into each other in your memory even while you’re still watching them. It has a good cast and a very engaging story that offers a lot more than just blood splatters and lots of cursing. Highly recommend for all action fans looking for something a little out of the norm.

Thanks to Signature Entertainment for access! The Silent Hour is available now on Amazon Prime.

Advice to take from this movie:

• There are buttons on the side of your phone that control its volume. USE THEM.
• If you drop someone off in an ambulance, maybe give the medics some info so they know what they are facing?
• If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably Mark Strong.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Silent Hour? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀