Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Dead Silence (2007)

Director: James Wan

Time Out rating

Average user rating
4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

This throw-back horror movie from Leigh Whannell and James Wan, the writer and director of ‘Saw’, fuses the theatricality of Hammer Horror with a modern sensibility. Its fog-wreathed graveyards and spooky sets are CGI-enhanced, but its twentysomething protagonist – though haunted by his family’s murky past – is very much of our time. Sadly, the overall effect is more creaky than creepy. Insipid ‘Home and Away’ alumnus Ryan Kwanten plays Jamie Ashen, whose claims that his wife was murdered by a ventriloquist’s doll fall on deaf ears where cynical cop Jim Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg) is concerned. Lipton follows Jamie and the doll to the moribund community of Ravens Fair, where Jamie uncovers a dark family secret. Even if you find the staring eyes and flapping mouths of ventriloquist dolls scary, there’s a homage-by-numbers feel to the ‘sins of the fathers’ plot, with its references to Mario Bava movies and Edgar Allan Poe. It’s affectionately done, but rather pointless.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 1924: July 4-10 2007


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

User reviews of this film

4 comments

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: James Wan

Producer: Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules, Mark Burg

Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Bob Gunton full cast

Genre(s): Horror, Thrillers

Rated: 15

Duration: 89 mins

UK Release: Jul 6 2007




Top Stories

Kings of Comedy?

Kings of Comedy?

As Russell Crowe prepares a Bill Hicks biopic, we ask which Hollywood bigshots could play comedians

Juliette Binoche: interview

Juliette Binoche: interview

The great French actress Juliette Binoche discusses film and painting with Dave Calhoun

An A-Z of classic movie cameos

An A-Z of classic movie cameos

As Tom Cruise makes a 'surprise' appearance in 'Tropic Thunder', Time Out presents our rundown of classic cameos

The Coens' 'Burn after Reading': review

The Coens' 'Burn after Reading': review

Pitt and Clooney star in the Coen brothers' latest, 'Burn After Reading', which opened the 2008 Venice film festival

Guy Ritchie on ‘RocknRolla’

Guy Ritchie on ‘RocknRolla’

Wally Hammond talks to Guy Ritchie about his latest film, ‘RocknRolla’ which sees him safely back in his old manor among the familiar carnival of villains, scams and high-octane spills and thrills

Saul Dibb on ‘The Duchess’

Saul Dibb on ‘The Duchess’

Dave Calhoun discovers from director Saul Dibb that his latest, 'The Duchess’ is far from your typical aristos-in-love movie