The Silent Hour

Director Brad Anderson delivers a film that is more entertaining than you might think. It won't revolutionize anything, but it has a lot more content than you might think, which makes for a pleasant time.

Starring Joel Kinnaman and Sandra Mae Frank, the film follows a Boston detective who loses his hearing after an accident on duty. With his new role as a sign language interpreter for the department, Frank now has the mission of protecting Ava, a deaf woman who witnessed a double murder. The use of sign language is the key to the film's captivating nature, allowing for an impeccable connection between the main characters who, through their lack of hearing, make this suspense thriller have some really well-achieved moments and tension that is well managed by its director.

The good use of sound, with which the film gets an additional plus, makes the simple story take an interesting turn, without being extraordinary or novel, but for what the film proposes it is quite efficient, more so if we add the good work of its director who knows how to place the camera at the moment of exploiting the tension. Then we find the typical argumentative clichés of a script that plays it safe and without major daring, few deaths and little intelligence among the villains stand out, but the game you enter achieves its goal of fair, average and partial entertainment for a film that does not pretend to revolutionize everything, but rather to fulfill its original idea.

A cast that includes supporting actors such as Mark Strong, Mekhi Phifer and Michael Eklund help the film to have the level of commitment it deserves so that you, as a viewer, become hooked on the whole story that is being told to us.

A better bet than you might think, it won't be one of those that will make it into the top of the year, but it does have its charm that makes it more enjoyable than you might think or be carried away by the critics. It has its moments, it has a couple with chemistry and it has just the right level of tension that makes it totally enjoyable to watch, without discounting the message it seeks to convey, which is really the great power that the film has.

An entertaining thriller just do just that -- entertain. It should not present a paradox to the viewer, or do anything which makes it harder for the viewer to identify with the main character. Yet this film actually goes out of its way to do just that. On paper, all the boxes are checked. Brad Anderson is both prolific and successful at his craft. Kinnaman is one of those actors who is easy to relate to, and never gives a bad performance or disapponts. The story is obviously a riff on the Die Hard formula, and pretty hard to mess up as long as you remember to "set up" the action scenes in advance. Even with the checked boxes, the result is a letdown. Giving Kinnaman's character a literal handicap -- even to the point of having him repeatedly fiddle with his hearing aid -- makes it harder to relate to the main character. The Die Hard arc is not well developed, and the action scenes do not deliver on the "killbox" promise that the audience expects. Instead of leaving feeling entertained, one leaves with the feeling that this could have been better done. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

That 139 mins went quickly. Fantastic suspense movie.

Enjoy this as pure entertainment and forget and remember it's just a movie and you'll enjoy it.

A police officer that is going deaf quickly as a result of a work accident must defend a deaf lady as the bad guys take them hostage in an empty building. Time is ticking and who does one trust? With no hearing the two must communicate with their other senses and outwit the intruders.

The main actress who is deaf in real life is brilliant and I'm looking forward in seeing her past movies and following her future. The whole acting/ behind the scenes team build a great thriller filled with suspense and drama.

One of the baddies ( you have to wonder ) how he got that far as a criminal.

A couple of minor plot holes, predictable in parts however does what a thriller movie should do and that's to enjoy.

Just to add the sound team did amazing job with sound dropping where it should and shouldn't and echoing for the deaf characters.

Well done.

Yes, okay, you aren't getting anything original, but The Silent Hour is a well made, taut, action Thriller and thoroughly engaged me from start to finish. Good performances from the cast, especially the two leads.

Yes, okay, you aren't getting anything original, but The Silent Hour is a well made, taut, action Thriller and thoroughly engaged me from start to finish. Good performances from the cast, especially the two leads.

Yes, okay, you aren't getting anything original, but The Silent Hour is a well made, taut, action Thriller and thoroughly engaged me from start to finish. Good performances from the cast, especially the two leads.

The Silent Hour starts with an intriguing premise, but quickly falls into the trap of predictability. While the performances are decent, the plot unravels in a way that's easy to foresee, with little to no surprises. The suspense, which is crucial for a thriller of this nature, feels underwhelming as the story progresses. Every twist can be spotted from a mile away, making the film less engaging than it could have been. It's not a bad watch if you're in the mood for something light and don't mind knowing exactly where the story is headed. Sadly, it just doesn't offer enough in terms of originality or tension to stand out.