The Silencing

Last updated
The Silencing
The Silencing poster.jpg
Official release poster
Directed byRobin Pront
Written byMicah Ranum
Produced byCybill Lui Eppich
Starring
Cinematography Manuel Dacosse
Edited by Alain Dessauvage
Music by
  • Brooke Blair
  • Will Blair
Production
companies
Distributed by Saban Films
Release dates
  • July 16, 2020 (2020-07-16)(DirecTV Cinema)
  • August 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$170,653 [2] [3]

The Silencing is a 2020 action-thriller film directed by Robin Pront from a screenplay by Micah Ranum. It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Zahn McClarnon and Melanie Scrofano. The film is about a hunter and a sheriff who tracks down a murderer who may have kidnapped the hunter's daughter years before.

Contents

It was released through DirecTV Cinema on July 16, 2020, and in theaters and VOD on August 14, 2020, by Saban Films.

Plot

Alcoholic Rayburn Swanson is the owner of the Gwen Swanson Sanctuary in northern Minnesota, named after his missing daughter. The sanctuary is an act of penance, both because Gwen disapproved of his trapper lifestyle and because she had disappeared from his car five years earlier while he went into a store to buy whiskey. Rayburn keeps hunters out by using surveillance cameras.

Sheriff Alice Gustafson is the sister of a troubled young man, Brooks. While examining the body of a young girl found by a lake, Alice notices a scar on the girl's throat, along with the point of a spear-head (marked with an “MB”) buried in a tree. After learning about the body, Rayburn arrives to make a positive ID, but it is not Gwen. Alice learns that the spear was used with a rare weapon known as an atlatl.

Rayburn sees a man in a ghillie suit stalking the woods; when Rayburn attempts to confront the man, he is wounded by a thrown spear. While fleeing, he comes across a black pickup truck with the license plates removed. He marks the truck by scratching a small 'x' on the fender. After returning home and stitching his wound, he reviews his surveillance footage and observes a girl being hunted in the sanctuary by the same man. Rayburn returns to the sanctuary and rescues the girl, Molly, then keeps her safe in an unused spike trap overnight. She was rendered mute, having a throat scar similar to the one on the dead girl. They make it back to the cabin the next evening but are ambushed by the hunter. The hunter injures Rayburn and stabs Molly with a spear. Alice arrives and, after seeing that Molly has been stabbed, immediately suspects Rayburn, until the hunter appears behind her. Still disguised, his mannerisms cause her to believe it is her brother. Alice shoots Rayburn, wounding him, and causing him to flee so that her brother can escape.

Alice searches for Rayburn and steps on a bear trap he had set, injuring her ankle. He escapes in her patrol car and calls an ambulance for Molly; Alice calls for Rayburn's arrest. He flees to the home of his former wife, Debbie, and her husband, Karl Blackhawk, Sheriff of the local Indian tribal police. They take him to the "Factory", an abandoned mill where the homeless stay, and call Dr. Jon Boone to treat him. Brooks coincidentally arrives and is arrested by Karl, although he has an alibi to establish his innocence. Alice, realizing her moral failure, promises Molly, now hospitalized, that she will catch the killer. She also noticed the same throat scar on Molly.

Rayburn decides to clean up and throw out his liquor, except for the still unopened bottle he bought on the day Gwen had gone missing. He remembers the marked truck and locates it. After breaking into a house, he finds the same weapons and clothes worn by the killer, along with a trove of "missing" posters, including one for his daughter. After finding a still-living girl under a sheet with her throat surgically cut open, the killer appears and captures Rayburn by knocking him unconscious.

Alice notices issues with the autopsy report by Dr. Boone. While waiting for him in his office, she sees a photo of the doctor with his daughter Melissa wearing a necklace with the initials "MB". Alice realizes that Boone is the killer and immediately calls for backup to raid Boone's home; the same home Rayburn had found.

Boone explains to Rayburn that while grieving his own daughter, who had been killed by a drunk driver, he began kidnapping and killing teen girls to "save" them from bad parents, including Rayburn; he operates on the larynx so they cannot call for help while being hunted. Boone takes Rayburn to the wildlife sanctuary and forces him to flee so that he can be hunted. Alice sees Rayburn on the surveillance. Rayburn overpowers Boone and is beating him severely as Alice arrives; she attempts to stop Rayburn, but he ignores her and throws Boone into one of the spike traps, mortally wounding him. Alice looks on as Rayburn closes the doctor in, telling her that they are even (he had lied earlier, saying the intruder shot him instead of Alice). She later sits in a patrol car, listening to the radio about the ongoing manhunt for Dr. Boone.

Rayburn and his ex-wife have a funeral for Gwen, which Molly attends, providing him closure. He then empties his last bottle of whisky into the lake in memory of his daughter.

Cast

Production

In May 2018, it was announced Nikolaj Coster-Waldau had joined the cast of the film, with Anders Engstom directing from a screenplay by Micah Ranum. [4] In February 2019, Annabelle Wallis joined the cast of the film, with Robin Pront directing the film, replacing Engstom. [5] In April 2019, Hero Fiennes Tiffin joined the cast of the film. [6] In May 2019, Melanie Scrofano, Zahn McClarnon and Shaun Smyth joined the cast of the film. [7]

Principal photography began in May 2019 in Canada. [8] [9] Filming took place in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. [10]

Release

The film was scheduled to have its world premiere at South by Southwest in March 2020, however the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [11] [12] Shortly after, Saban Films acquired distribution rights to the film. [13] It was released in the United States through DirecTV Cinema on July 16, 2020, and released in theaters and to video on demand on August 14, 2020. [14] It was released in Canada on August 14, 2020. [15] [16] The film opened as the top rental in the country and opened on 79 screens, taking in $53,205, making it the top grossing new film release with the highest per-screen average in the United States. Over its first week of home release, it made around $5 million from VOD sales. [17]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 20% based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The Silencing mistakes mood for character development, leading to an undercooked mystery that fails to generate much interest." [18]

Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India said that the film "is one of those serial killer sagas that's not so much about what it is telling you, but how it is telling you. And that's where it makes quite a killing". [19]

Jeannie Blue of Cryptic Rock gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, [20] while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it 2 out of 5. [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> (film) 1991 horror film by Jonathan Demme

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer named "Buffalo Bill", who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film also features performances from Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, and Kasi Lemmons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Fiennes</span> English actor (born 1962)

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Widely regarded as one of Britain's most well-known and popular actors, he has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and an Emmy Award.

<i>Red Dragon</i> (2002 film) Thriller film directed by Brett Ratner

Red Dragon is a 2002 psychological thriller film based on the 1981 novel by Thomas Harris. It was directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Tally. It is the third film of the Dino De Laurentiis Company production, last produced by Universal Pictures, and last starred by actor Anthony Hopkins. It follows The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Hannibal (2001) as a prequel, being followed by Hannibal Rising (2007). The film sees FBI agent Will Graham enlisting the help of serial killer Hannibal Lecter to catch another killer, Francis Dolarhyde. Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Parker</span> Canadian actress (born 1972)

Molly Parker is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She garnered critical attention for her portrayal of a necrophiliac medical student in the controversial drama Kissed (1996). She subsequently starred in the television thriller Intensity (1997) before landing her first major American film role in the drama Waking the Dead (2000). She gained further notice for her role as a Las Vegas escort in the drama The Center of the World (2001), for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolaj Coster-Waldau</span> Danish actor and screenwriter (born 1970)

Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau is a Danish actor and producer. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film Nightwatch (1994). He played Jaime Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Tiffin</span> American actress and model (1942–2020)

Pamela Tiffin Wonso was an American film and television actress.

<i>Nightwatch</i> (1994 film) 1994 Danish film

Nightwatch is a 1994 Danish horror thriller film directed and written by Danish director Ole Bornedal. The film involves Martin who gets a student job as night watchman at the Forensic Medicine Institute. When making his rounds he finds he must go to where the deceased people are kept. At the same time, a series of murders occur among women in Copenhagen, while mysterious and unexplained things happen in the medical department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero Fiennes Tiffin</span> British actor, model and producer (born 1997)

Hero Beauregard Faulkner Fiennes Tiffin is an English actor, model and film producer. He is most known for his starring roles as Hardin Scott in the After film series and for his portrayal of a young Lord Voldemort, in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabelle Wallis</span> British actress (born 1984)

Annabelle Wallis is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jane Seymour in Showtime's period drama The Tudors (2009–2010), Grace Burgess in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders (2013–2019), Mia Form in the supernatural horror film Annabelle (2014), Jenny Halsey in the supernatural adventure film The Mummy (2017), Sandra in Silent Night (2021) and Madison Mitchell in the horror film Malignant (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nukâka Coster-Waldau</span> Greenlandic singer and actress

Nukâka Coster-Waldau, better known professionally as Nukâka, is a Greenlandic singer, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Greenland. She is married to Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and has two daughters with him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Scrofano</span> Canadian actress

Melanie Neige Scrofano is a Canadian actress. She is known for playing Mrs. McMurray on the Crave comedy series Letterkenny, Rebecca on the CBC comedy-drama series Being Erica, October on the Showcase mockumentary series Pure Pwnage, and Tia on the CTV fantasy-drama series The Listener. From 2016 to 2021, Scrofano starred as the title character on the Syfy modern Western drama Wynonna Earp. In 2019, she played Emilie in the comedy horror film Ready or Not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zahn McClarnon</span> American actor

Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon is an American actor known for his performances in the Western crime drama series Longmire, the second season of Fargo, and the second season of Westworld. In 2022, he plays the lead role in the AMC series Dark Winds. He features in the FX on Hulu series Reservation Dogs, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2024).

<i>Exit Plan</i> (film) 2019 film by Jonas Alexander Arnby

Exit Plan, also titled Suicide Tourist, is a 2019 Danish-Norwegian-German mystery drama film directed by Jonas Alexander Arnby and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The film premiered at the 2019 Sitges Film Festival.

<i>Shot Caller</i> (film) 2017 film directed by Ric Roman Waugh

Shot Caller is a 2017 American crime thriller film written and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. The film chronicles the transformation of a well-to-do family man, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, into a hardened prison gangster, which he undergoes to survive California's penal system after he is incarcerated for his role in a deadly DUI car accident. The film also stars Omari Hardwick, Lake Bell, Jon Bernthal, Emory Cohen, Jeffrey Donovan, Evan Jones, Benjamin Bratt, and Holt McCallany.

<i>Small Crimes</i> 2017 American film

Small Crimes is a 2017 American crime film directed by E. L. Katz from a screenplay by Katz and Macon Blair, based on the novel of the same name by Dave Zeltserman. The film stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Joe Denton, a former cop recently released from prison for attempted murder. The film also stars Gary Cole, Molly Parker, Macon Blair, Pat Healy, Jacki Weaver, and Robert Forster. Small Crimes premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2017, and was released by Netflix on April 28, 2017.

<i>After</i> (2019 film) 2019 American film

After is a 2019 American romantic drama film directed by Jenny Gage, who co-wrote the screenplay with Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna, and Tom Betterton, based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Anna Todd. It is the first installment in the After film series. The film stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford and follows a young woman who begins to romance a mysterious student during her first months of college. The cast includes Selma Blair, Inanna Sarkis, Shane Paul McGhie, Pia Mia, Khadijha Red Thunder, Dylan Arnold, Samuel Larsen, Jennifer Beals and Peter Gallagher in supporting roles.

<i>Against the Ice</i> 2022 film by Peter Flinth

Against the Ice is a 2022 historical survival film directed by Peter Flinth and written by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Derrick, based on the true story recounted in Two Against the Ice by Ejnar Mikkelsen. It stars Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, Charles Dance, and Heida Reed. The film was shot in Iceland and Greenland. Against the Ice premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2022. It was released on Netflix on March 2, 2022, and received mixed reviews from critics.

The Silence of Mercy is an upcoming American independent drama film directed by Floria Sigismondi and written by Chris Basler.

<i>The Last Thing He Told Me</i> (TV series) 2023 thriller television series

The Last Thing He Told Me is an American thriller television series for Apple TV+, based on the novel of the same name by Laura Dave. The series was developed by Laura Dave and Josh Singer and stars Jennifer Garner as the main character Hannah Hall. It premiered on April 14, 2023. In March 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.

<i>God Is a Bullet</i> (film) 2023 film by Nick Cassavetes

God Is a Bullet is a 2023 American action thriller film written and directed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maika Monroe, and Jamie Foxx. It is based on the 1999 novel of the same name by Boston Teran.

References

  1. ↑ "The Silencing". South by Southwest . Archived from the original on July 11, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Silencing (2020)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ "The Silencing (2020) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  4. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (May 7, 2018). "Nikolaj Coster-Waldau To Star In Thriller 'The Silencing' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (February 6, 2019). "Annabelle Wallis Joins Nikolaj Coster-Waldau In Thriller 'The Silencing', Which Gets A New Director In Robin Pront – EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (April 8, 2019). "'After' Star Hero Fiennes Tiffin Joins Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis In 'The Silencing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (May 2, 2019). "'Wynonna Earp' Star Melanie Scrofano, Zahn McClarnon, Shaun Smyth Board 'The Silencing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  8. ↑ Ritman, Alex (18 May 2019). "Cannes First Look: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in 'The Silencing' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  9. ↑ Hamman, Cody (May 3, 2019). "FOUR JOIN COSTER-WALDAU AND WALLIS IN THRILLER THE SILENCING". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  10. ↑ Meslow, Scott (August 14, 2020). "Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Hero Fiennes Tiffin on Acid Rain, Directors With Guns, and Brown Teeth". gq.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  11. ↑ Ray-Ramos, Dino (January 15, 2020). "SXSW Sets Judd Apatow's 'The King Of Staten Island' As Opening-Night Film, Unveils Features And Episodics Lineups". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "City of Austin Cancels SXSW March Events". March 6, 2020. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ Day-Ramos, Dino (April 14, 2020). "Saban Films Acquires Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Crime Thriller 'The Silencing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Summer Movie Preview 2020: 'Hamilton,' 'Tenet,' 'Mulan' and More". May 18, 2020. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  15. ↑ "The Silencing". Mongrel Media . Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  16. ↑ Chittora, Piyush (July 10, 2020). "Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis's The Silencing To Be Release On July 16 in US And August 14 in Canada". Moviespie. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Saban Films President Talks Digital Hit 'The Silencing,' Pivoting During COVID-19". Variety. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  18. ↑ "The Silencing (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on 2020-09-12. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  19. ↑ "The Silencing Movie Review : A grisly serial killer saga with chilling atmospherics". The Times of India . TNN. October 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  20. ↑ Jeannie Blue (August 10, 2020). "The Silencing (Movie Review)". Cryptic Rock. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ Travers, Peter (August 13, 2020). "'The Silencing' Review: Serial Killer Drama Is Hush-Hush on Thrills, Chills". Rolling Stone .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.