Movies that Deserved Better: 'Dead Silence'

         On March 16, 2007, with a streaming release on November 19, 2013, Universal Pictures released 'Dead Silence', which received a mixed reception from critics, currently holding at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the film, "After his wife meets a grisly end, Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) returns to their creepy hometown of Ravens Fair to unravel the mystery of her murder. Once there, he discovers the legend of Mary Shaw (Joan Heney), a murdered ventriloquist whose eerie presence still looms over the town. As he desperately digs for answers, Jamie encounters the curse that took his wife's life and threatens his own." The ensemble cast includes Donnie Wahlberg, Amber Valletta, Bob Gunton, and Judith Roberts. But what did the critics say?

       Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed notes, "Dead Silence” is less a film about a killer puppet, and more a film about the madness behind the puppet. Was Mary Shaw really undead, or were her puppets keeping her alive? Whanell and crew never really make it clear to us, but they do create a truly creepy horror character that works mainly because she’s so utterly horrifying to look at. “Dead Silence” has a genuine novelty to it, and one that works to compliment the puppets that play as constant plot devices. Wan’s direction is just great as he has a blast using darkness as a truly interesting characteristic for the film, all the while using swooping camera angles and good old fashioned creepy settings to build the suspense all the while attempting to build a story." Adding, "Aside from having a bland leading character, and an obnoxious antagonist (really, what was Donnie Wahlberg’s purpose in this affair?), the film never truly has a clear narrative in mind until the second half where it all comes crashing down. I won’t say this was a complete win for the boys from “Saw.” The film most definitely has plenty of inherent flaws, but in spite of it all, it’s also a very creepy little ditty that works once it rears up to the second half."

        Frank Scheck of Hollywood Reporter praises the film, stating, "Director Wan demonstrates that he's equally effective working in a more classical vein, especially with his skillful use of chilling low-key sound effects and silence in several scary sequences."

Photo by Robert Zunikoff on Unsplash

        Scott Collura of IGN Movies says, "It's great seeing Wahlberg getting the chance to have fun with the character, who proves to be a highlight of the film, and one almost wishes he might get his own spin-off film or series at some point"

       Scott Tobias of AV Club was less impressed, stating, "Even without the mechanized death that made the Saw movies such a sensation, it doesn't take long to realize that director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell are merely trying to replace one twisty, gimmicky franchise with another."

        Personally, I really enjoyed this movie. Ryan Kwanten was the standout in terms of acting, giving his best performance outside of 'True Blood'. Donnie Wahlberg was solid as well and his performance during the big reveal scene was equal parts great and hammy all at once. The script could have progressed less rapidly and quite honestly, this movie would have been better as a television limited series. Given the year, 'AHS' could have had some competition.