It was the year of our lord Satan 2014 when I saw my homeboy Joel Kinnaman for the first time. His lanky physique, imposing presence, and unmistakably tortured look in the eyes drew me to him. He was just cool and I wanted to look like him. I kind of already did but you know what I mean. Do you have an actor or an actress who looks a bit like you, like a “cool version of you”? What cemented this feeling I had with Joel was the phenomenal television show The Killing. The character he plays there hit all the right spots. He was also great in Altered Carbon, RoboCop 2014 edition, and the movie we’re going to be talking about today. And Snabba Cash AKA Easy Cash, let’s not forget his breakout role.
The Silent Hour is an effective and suspenseful high-concept thriller about a deaf detective trying to save his deaf witness from a vicious gang. I know, I know, it sounds a bit suspicious and contrived to have both the detective and the witness deaf but just roll with it, it’s going to make sense eventually. I promise you that The Silent Hour is a movie worth watching. The pacing is fast, the atmosphere is intense and the acting was top-notch, what more to want from a thriller? Add to this sleek cinematography and excellent production values and you’ve got yourself a movie you can play any time you want and enjoy it. Sure, the story is familiar but it still offers a couple of interesting twists.
Almost the entire story takes place over the course of just 24 hours giving the movie a sense of urgency. So, there won’t be any fluff or filler segments here. A good old “what you see is what you get” movie. The whole deafness thing added another dimension to this otherwise quite stereotypical story. Those of us who can hear take this sense for granted, much like sight. Unless we’re watching something where we’re confronted with the loss of that sense, the thought of being deaf or blind doesn’t enter our minds. While I was growing up, I watched a lot of television, as you can already guess. And one of the television shows that left a lasting impression on me was Reasonable Doubts.
Starring Mark Harmon and Marlee Matlin, it’s about a relationship between a tough detective and a feisty DA. Marlee Matlin was deaf since she was 18 months old and it was stunning to see her eat up this role. Moreover, this obscure little movie from 1993, Hear No Evil, was constantly on TV back then. I must’ve seen it a dozen times in a five-year period. However, her biggest role came just a couple of years ago, in a heartwarming coming-of-age masterpiece CODA. Sandra Mae Frank, who plays our witness Ava, was also deaf from an early age. And she gave one hell of a performance here. Too bad more movies don’t have appropriate roles for deaf people.
Of course, my homeboy Kinnaman was just as good. Mekhi Phifer whom you might remember from a string of nineties hood movies was a pleasure to watch and Mark Strong kept his high standards. So, the entire cast elevated this somewhat predictable script and made it into something much better. The director is none other than Brad Anderson, the guy behind such masterpieces as Session 9 and The Machinist. With a crew like this, it’s no wonder The Silent Hour turned out to be this good. I miss movies like this, straightforward and entertaining with a creative twist.
I managed to go through the entire review without revealing a bit of a spoiler when it comes to the story and I intend to uphold that conviction. All I’ll say is that if you’re looking for movies like The Silent Hour, you might want to check 1992’s hidden gem Trespass. And if you’re in the mood for something more recent, 2019’s Black and Blue will do the trick. Rabbit out.
Director: Brad Anderson
Writer: Dan Hall
Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Sandra Mae Frank, Mekhi Phifer, Mark Strong, Michael Eklund, Jonathan Koensgen
Fun Facts: Despite its story taking place in Boston, The Silent Hour was filmed in Canada and Malta.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22874848/
