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Parents' Guide to

The Silencing

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Solid but violent mystery-thriller has good performances.

Movie R 2020 97 minutes
The Silencing Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

MommaG3
MommaG3 Parent of 11 and 15-year-old
October 5, 2020
age 16+

Great movie!

I was skeptical about this film because I had never heard of it but it was really great! The story is intense and thrilling. The main character is an alcoholic but you understand why. There is a moderate amount of blood and gore. I would not recommend anyone under 16 watching it. Couple scenes are pretty intense. Great thrilling who done it movie. No sexy scenes or nudity. No obvious cursing.
PhonyCheese68
PhonyCheese68 Adult
October 3, 2020
age 16+

this is a very well made movie

The characters where well developed for their backgrounds and the production values where quite high-not cheap. All in all, a very well made mystery/action film that ADULTS should see. The plot is reasonable and acting is well done . A well written "Who Done it" thriller and surprising good ending-Fitting!-CRS
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE SILENCING, Rayburn Swanson (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) runs a wildlife sanctuary deep in the Minnesota woods. He drinks too much and is obsessed with finding his missing daughter, who's been gone for five years. Meanwhile, a woman's corpse washes up from the river, and new sheriff Alice Gustafson (Annabelle Wallis) investigates, discovering that the victim was hunted with a Native American spearhead. Alice also has her hands full with her troublemaking brother, Brooks (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). Then Rayburn is attacked in the woods by a mysterious thing covered in black fur, which is easily able to hide among the underbrush. Alice and Rayburn find themselves simultaneously following the same trail to the actual kidnapper/killer.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Wintry and woodsy, this small-scale thriller is closer to a decent episode of The Killing than The Silence of the Lambs. But it works due to the interestingly flawed characters and fine performances. Written by Micah Ranum and directed by Robin Pront, The Silencing establishes a clear sense of place, a small town on the edge of a vast woods. The sense of cold comes through bitingly, and things feel ragged and lived-in. It's too bad Pront couldn't have been a little more creative with the various treks and chases through the woods; many of the shots are too shaky and/or too dark. But Coster-Waldau plays Rayburn with an appealing mix of intrepid goodness and rage and self-loathing.

Meanwhile, Wallis' Alice must deal with general mistrust from her community -- she stops to remove a defaced election sign from her campaign -- as well as her connection to (and protection of) her troublesome brother. She makes iffy choices but remains captivating. Other characters similarly spring to life, and an underlying tension between Whites and Native Americans living in the same community deepens the mood. The mystery story in The Silencing doesn't quite click together as neatly as you might hope; it relies on red herrings and marginal characters. But the writing is still fairly strong, with some smart twists and dialogue. All in all, it's not a mind-blowing movie, but it's sufficiently entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Silencing's violence. How did it all make you feel? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • How are alcohol and drinking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

  • Some of the characters take the law into their own hands to achieve "justice." Is this fair? Should we always rely on the authorities? Who decides if and when a line is crossed?

  • How are Native American characters depicted? Are there stereotypes? What is the relationship like between them and the White characters?

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