When a man has lost everything, his daughter, his wife, and his dignity, there’s not much more you can take from him or put him through before that man breaks. Such is the case of the lead character of the 2020 American-Canadian action-thriller “The Silencing” from director Robin Pront. While standing on the precipice of a drunken, lonely void, a reformed hunter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is presented with an opportunity for redemption, and possibly for answers to the question that’s been haunting him for the past five years: who kidnapped his daughter?
Five years ago, Rayburn Swanson lived the life of a family man and an avid hunter. After a tragic turn of events, Rayburn now lives alone and decides to let go of the hobby that his daughter disdained, and transform his land into an animal sanctuary. Day in and day out, Rayburn sits alone in his home, watching over his land through cameras, making sure no hunters are afoot. After a few local girls have gone missing, Rayburn catches a mysterious figure hunting human beings on his land. Dressed head to toe in camouflage gear and toting a very rare, unique weapon, this elusive predator is out to kill and won’t be stopped.
“Game of Thrones” alumni Nikolaj Coster-Waldau gives a wonderful performance of a broken man who appears to be on the verge of breaking down entirely constantly. While he’s competent in protecting his land from game hunters, he’s turned into a drunken mess who’s haunted by the mistakes he made with his family years ago. Annabelle Wallis, of “The Mummy” and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”, gives a stunning performance as the local Sheriff, Alic Gustafson, whose effectiveness as an authority figure is consistently doubted by her peers and her charges. When Sheriff Gustafson picks up the case of a murdered girl in the woods, her path eventually leads to Rayburn’s as the two are both on the hunt for a hunter of young girls.
There’s a lot of love about this film. The performances from the two leads are fantastic, as well as from side characters like Zahn McClarnon and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. The setting, a town on the edge of a Native American Reservation, provides a lot of significant political dynamics that serve as another layer of obstacles in the way of the Sheriff’s investigation. At 97 minutes, this film really clips along and doesn’t really give you the chance to breathe. I did appreciate though that the film was able to break from the predictable path that I had assumed it to follow, throwing me for a few loops that I was pleasantly surprised to experience. Could there have been a little more meat on this movie’s bones, particularly in terms of the villain’s motivations? Sure, but that doesn’t mean the film wasn’t enjoyable and well-executed in its simplicity. I would recommend this murder mystery to anyone looking for a good, white-knuckle thriller.
RORSCHACH RATING:
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. This post was edited by Cam Smith. The Silencing is property of Saban Films. We do not own nor claim any rights. The Silencing opens in theaters and is available on digital platforms August 14th, 2020.
You can now support us on Patreon. Help us get mental health resources into schools and get exclusive content at the same time. Click here to join today!