While I don't hate social commentary in a film, Silence of the Prey goes just a bit too heavy-handed and a bit too aggressive with its topics. I actually like the attempted message of the story, but the writing and acting aren't where they should be.
For starters, far too much is revealed and given away far too early. You already know what's going to happen next because there's no actual attempt at building up the mystery. While the characters are especially suitable choices for the story, there's no build-up and their arcs add very little. It's also too blunt with its particular messages, to the point where conversations and exchanges feel stilted and too apparent..... The acting also only has misfires. No one seems to know how to portray their characters, and there are many scenes where it just feels like people don't even know how to facially express the correct emotions. Something always feels off, which just makes scenes that much more annoying..... But the visuals are quite pleasing. There's a good attempt at giving the right levels of foreboding and ominous with how each scene is captured. While there are instances of scenes getting close to but not quite hitting the mark, there are many more scenes that do hit the mark in terms of visuals.... The soundtrack is also a step above standard fare, though it's often a bit too overdone, with many scenes feeling too heavy and dark for the mood that they try to achieve. There's just too much overcompensation with the music where there should be none.
Probably not a surprise that Silence of the Prey isn't good. It had promise, but never reached its potential.
