There’s something about crime thrillers over the past few years that has disappointed the average viewer deeply. But every once in a while comes an action-packed, adrenaline ride of a film such as The Silent Hour that leaves someone nostalgic for the glory days of the ‘90s and ‘70s thrillers, satisfied and pleased from start to finish.
Brad Anderson’s feature is action-packed, fine-tuned, and dynamic. Characters are on the run throughout, but because of the depth of emotions conveyed by the actors during the more heartfelt scenes —a brilliant performance by deaf actress Sandra Mae Frank and a solid, grounded one from Joel Kinnaman— the film surpasses initial expectations and reaches higher levels of artistry within the genre.
Frank Shaw is a detective who suffers gradual hearing loss after an accident in a criminal chase gone wrong. His former partner brings him along to take a statement from a deaf murder witness, acting as an interpreter. Since he’s the only one in the department with at least partial knowledge of sign language, he becomes a key participant in what will later become the most hectic day of his life. However, it is also the day he finds love again, begins to accept his disability, and understands that living with it means seeing beyond its limitations.

One must mention the film’s sound department and how it has created a great companion to its action-packed frontier. Great sound mixing and sound editing from a talented team (Dallas Boyes, Aleksandar Bundalo, Mark Dejczak, John Loranger, and Norbert Szekeres) should be recognized individually to highlight the on-spot work they have done. Each choice creates an environment where sound is crushing, incubus-like, and impending, while also disappearing altogether at key points to place the viewer in the two leads’ shoes.
Sandra Mae Frank is the true revelation, though. Her performance as deaf-from-birth Ava is mesmerizing. No one can take their eyes off her every time she’s on screen. The way she delivers some speeches about losing and feeling to make up for the losses truly brought tears to my eyes. In the hands of a less careful director than Anderson and a less equipped crew, a scene like that would have bordered on corny and cliche, but it feels touching and gripping here.

Communication plays an important theme in this film. Through the absence of sound, the protagonist’s inadequacy in communicating between two worlds, that of the deaf and people who can hear perfectly, makes his struggles and hero’s arc both interesting and emotionally resonant. Viewers bond with him, root for his plans to succeed, and secretly wish he and the witness come out of the building alive. In modern-day cinema, especially genre films that don’t get enough exposure and publicity, it’s a rarity to cheer on a hero played by an underrated actor and hang on every move he makes, and every decision he takes, until he finally reaches safety.
The Silent Hour is a rollercoaster of action-packed scenes and intense emotions. Everyone does their best in this film, from the camera operator to the supporting actors. A killer sound design and agile cinematography make it a feast for the senses, even when it loses sight of where it intentionally focuses. Solid acting and deaf representation elevate the film to levels it may not have reached without all the subtle components working together in the narrative’s favor. In a time when creating a good old, uncomplicated crime thriller is proving to be a more difficult task than it appears, this film brings in all the right factors and doesn’t take itself too seriously, unless it deals with casting for disabled roles. Worth a watch any time of the year.
The Silent Hour is currently available on Digital platforms courtesy of Republic Pictures.

The Silent Hour is a rollercoaster of action-packed scenes and intense emotions. Everyone does their best in this film, from the camera operator to the supporting actors. A killer sound design and agile cinematography make it a feast for the senses, even when it loses sight of where it intentionally focuses.
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GVN Rating 7.8
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User Ratings (2 Votes)
5.2

Jaylan Salah Salman is an Egyptian poet, translator, film critic at InSession Film website, and visionary artist. Her first poetry collection in English, “Work Station Blues”, was published by PoetsIN. Her second poetry book, “Bury My Womb on the West Bank”, was published in 2021 by Third Eye Butterfly Press. She participated in the Art & Mind project (ātac Gallery, Framingham, Massachusetts). Jaylan translated ten books for International Languages House publishing company, and started her first web series on YouTube, “The JayDays”, where she comments on films as well as other daily life antics and misgivings.