From the creators of Saw comes a supernatural terror that begins on a promising note but soon gets bogged down by issues of its own makings. Dead Silence features an interesting premise and even impresses with some of its horror elements but the idiotic characters the story inhabits & the awful decisions they keep making continues lowering our investment in the outcome.
Directed by James Wan (Insidious & The Conjuring), the event that sets the plot into motion is executed rather well as Wan employs old-school setups that deliver the results. Yet it doesn't take long for the shortcomings in the script to be exposed. Wan does quite well to bestow the surroundings with a disquieting feel & chilling aura but the narrative unfolding at the centre is too bland & predictable.
The protagonist is never for once compelling and his actions throughout the picture are just facepalm-inducing. What works in the film's favour is the phantasmic atmosphere, effective build-ups, smart camerawork & Charlie Clouser's excellent score. But it's just not enough to mask all the glaring problems. Performances are forgettable from all and the roles they play are also devoid of any personality whatsoever.
Overall, Dead Silence opens with a thrilling sequence and only goes downhill after that. The germs of a potentially terrifying genre flick are there but when the basic storytelling aspects aren't properly covered then even the good parts don't amount for much. Wan's deft eye for horror helps make the ride bearable to some extent but all in all, this is one dull, derivative & disappointing product that starts with a promise yet only gets worse as it progresses.
