I usually don't go to see mainstream movies in theaters unless they really grab me but my girlfriend has a thing for horror movies with puppets so we went to see this one. I was also surprised by the fact that James Wan had directed another film, which he wrote, once again, with Leigh Whannell. I liked the first Saw but it wasn't the fact that these guys had made Saw that interested, it was the fact that they made something else. Usually, when something like Saw comes around, the directors go off to become one hit wonders. I figured if James Wan had returned with another film, he might actually have something more to offer the genre than just a single smash hit.

Dead Silence follows the story of Jamie Ashen. At the begining of the film, Jamie and his wife receive a ventriloquist dummy in the mail with no return address. After briefly debating the mysterious origins of the package, Jamie's wife is murdered under mysterious circumstances. Cause of death? Tongue ripped out. The nature of his wife's death causes Jamie to recall a town ghost story about a ventriloquist named Mary Shaw, who was murdered by the townspeople long ago after the disappearance of a child and has since come back from the dead to seek revenge. Jamie travels to town looking for answers, hoping to solve the mystery surrounding his wife's death. Cue strange occurrences and you've got Dead Silence.

While Saw was a better horror movie IMO, there were a lot of things I liked about this one. The creepy atmosphere and innovative cinematography from Saw returns in Dead Silence but not the obnoxious MTV-style editing or blaring industrial soundtrack (Charlie Clouser returns to do the score but keeps things subtle, giving the film an extra punch). The gore is lacking but what Dead Silence lacks in splatter, it makes up with suspense, minus a couple cheap scares. While Saw seemed meant to be more contemporary and cutting edge, Dead Silence was more throwback to films of the Gothic horror and giallo persuasion, with influences ranging from Psycho and Dario Argento films to Hammer films and old monster movies (please note the original black and white Universal logo with the little plane, which kicks off the film... awesome!). Gothic mansions, abandoned theaters, and foggy graveyards are the primary locations of Dead Silence and the film's bleach-bypass is taken so far, it almost looks black and white (minus the standout color red), giving the film an excellent gloomy feel.

Nevertheless, while I enjoyed the film, I felt it lacking in a few departments. The characters, for one. Most of them were paper thin, especially the main character. I found him boring and extremely underdeveloped. The only character I liked was the detective, played by Donnie Wahlberg, who seemed like he'd come straight out of a film noir. Also, while the suspense was high and well executed, their seemed to be a lack of action to make it all worth while. Only a handful of death scenes and the puppet mayhem doesn't really come in until the finale (the film's not about the puppets really, as much as it is about Mary Shaw).

But forget all that. Both the good and bad aside, the film's coup de grace is the one reason to go see it. I'm talking, of course, about the twist ending. Just like in the Saw series, Wan and Whannel wait until the end to deliver a major twist ending and, oh boy, is this one a dousy. Seriously, I had chills. My jaw hit the floor. Hope yours does too should you decide to go see this.

All in all, different from Saw but a decent flick. I'd watch out for James Wan in the future. He might be on his way to becoming a big name in the genre. In short, Dead Silence is worth a watch, if only for the twist.

NOTE: Seeing as this is a film with puppets in it, it seems only appropriate that the Jigsaw puppet should make an appearance. Keep an eye out for him. His appearance is not as obvious as you might think.

Quoted from James McClung ...my girlfriend has a thing for horror movies with puppets.

Am I the only one who feels like this makes a perfect, yet odd, kind of sense?


[Edit:  Just to clarify, I meant that James would dig a girl who digs murderous puppets -- not that James is a murderous puppet haha]

just came back from this movie.. didnt really like it too much.. twist was kinda interesting but overall felt like it was trying tooo hard. and i really didnt like how they had the same like music/sound effects as saw, like the whole twist ending they did exactly like Saw 3. I don't know ahah I think I was just expecting more

While I do think ventriloquist dummies are creepy in themselves, making them walk around and kill people (which is the impression I got from the trailer?) relegates the plot to cheesy b-movie. Yet at the same time the film looked like it took itself pretty serious?

Is this imprssion right or is the trailer throwing us off?

I'll probably catch this on DVD, although I didn't really care for any of the Saw movies.

And if anyone has seen "Dummy" with Adrien Brody and Milla Jovovich, is the dummy from that film in this, or did my eyes deceive me?


Oh and you probably mean "Coup de grâce" . Grâce means "mercy". Gras means "fat".

Quoted from bert Am I the only one who feels like this makes a perfect, yet odd, kind of sense?

I guess it does, hehe.

Quoted from Death Monkey While I do think ventriloquist dummies are creepy in themselves, making them walk around and kill people (which is the impression I got from the trailer?) relegates the plot to cheesy b-movie. Is this imprssion right or is the trailer throwing us off?

This is NOT an accurate description of the plot. The plot does not involve puppets walking around and killing people. Oh, they're alive, alright, but it's the ghost of Mary Shaw who does all the killing.

Quoted from Death Monkey Oh and you probably mean "Coup de gr?" . Gr? means "mercy". Gras means "fat".

Thank you, sir.