Dead Silence, directed by James Wan, follows Jamie
Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) as he returns to his eerie hometown of Ravens Fair after
his wife’s brutal murder, determined to unravel the chilling mystery
surrounding her death. His investigation leads him to the legend of Mary Shaw
(Joan Heney), a sinister ventriloquist whose ghostly presence haunts the town.
The movie attempts to deliver a gothic horror vibe, steeped in eerie
atmosphere, haunted towns, and creepy dolls.
As someone who typically avoids doll-centric horror films (most aren't creepy enough to make an impact), I hesitated to watch this one for years. When I finally did, I realized I had already seen it—an indication of just how unmemorable Dead Silence was for me.
The film struggles to find a unique voice, falling back on
tropes that might have worked in the past but fail to deliver here. The
heavy-handed, almost copy-paste style reminiscent of Wan’s earlier Saw
only emphasizes the lack of freshness in this film. Saw captivated with
its brutal ingenuity, but Dead Silence flounders in comparison, unable
to recapture that magic or deliver the same lasting impact.
Visually, the film has its moments, with its fog-draped town and antique settings. The ventriloquist dummies, while visually unsettling, didn’t carry enough of the terror needed to keep me on edge. The film’s pacing and execution leave it feeling forgettable, despite the legend of Mary Shaw being an intriguing concept that had potential.
However, it's not a complete waste of time. With a relatively short runtime, it's not an overwhelming commitment, and for those who appreciate Wan's earlier style, there’s a touch of that in the aesthetics. But overall, it’s far from a standout in the horror genre, especially for viewers like me, who are hard to spook with doll-based horror after the classic Trilogy of Terror.
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