Dead Silence stars Ryan Kwanten and a Wahlberg, in a movie about killer ventriloquist dolls. If that doesn’t sell you, I’m not sure what else I can say. Okay, I’ve got one more argument. Dead Silence is also another entry by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, their first non-Saw project in fact. How did this creepy movie get forgotten among the rest of the duo’s filmography? Let’s see if we can figure it out.

• Directed By: James Wan
• Written By: Leigh Whannell. James Wan
• Starring: Ryan Kwanten Amber Valletta Donnie Wahlberg

Generally, I like Dead Silence. It’s a simple story of a woman who has been killing off a bloodline, from beyond the grave, using a haunted ventriloquist doll. The doll is effectively creepy looking and Ryan Kwanten, in the middle of his True Blood popularity, is effective as the husband investigating his wife’s murder. 

After the detective, Donnie Wahlberg, decides not to arrest him for the murder, Kwanten’s  Jamie returns to his hometown to learn more about Mary Shaw and the legend of her killer dolls.  The legend is based in some truth; his great ancestor once heckled Shaw. After a boy went missing, the townspeople blamed Shaw and killed her, cutting out her tongue as revenge. Now, her spirit is killing off the families of the original townspeople and their entire bloodlines.  

Yeah, writing that out, it makes less sense than when you watch the movie. Mood and atmosphere, not to mention the creepy doll, do a lot to sell this one. 

One of the main problems I have with Dead Silence is how much of it seems fairly contrived.  And sadly, to fully explain this, I’m going to have to get into some spoilers.  

The Issue With the End – Spoilers Ahead

The movie ends on a big reveal: Jamie’s father has been a doll the entire time. His stepmother is a doll too, animated by the spirit of Mary Shaw. She’s a pretty powerful ghost. Now that she’s killed off Jamie’s pregnant wife, and his dad, and finally Jaime himself, she’s accomplished her goal. Which is fine. Good for her. Doll wins! It’s just a bit complicated when you think about it. 

I’m all for new urban legends. But, there is something clunky about the story of Mary Shaw and her need for generational revenge. Or at least the way it’s delivered.  At one point, long after we’ve heard Jamie say her name about five or six times, the mortician starts a flashback by dramatically intoning, “her name was Mary Shaw”. This would have been super-dramatic had it been the first time the real name was heard. 

The next weird part is that Mary wanted to look like a doll in death. Well, that’s fine; what’s strange is that the mortician went ahead and did it. Mary was the town villain, an accused child murderer. Why go to such lengths for such a macabre final wish? Plus, mutilating a corpse like that must be against some kind of ethical code. This is not a major issue, but it’s one of several minor plot points that could have been smoothed over with a quick revision. Why didn’t the villagers, in their fury, make her resemble her dolls in death?  It’s clean and easy. 

The really contrived part comes with the “twist” ending. The real problem I have is the movie feels like the ending was written first, and then everything else came later. This is a perfectly fine way to write, as long as it’s not noticeable.   Given Saw’s fame for its ending, the duo behind it probably should have not tried to replicate the formula in such an obvious way. It’s stylistically really close, with flashbacks, and over-dramatic music, and everything. 

Cinematography

There are some sequences that really look great in Dead Silence. Wan just doesn’t adapt his gritty Saw style to the needs of a moody, supernatural ghost story.  This leads to a bit of a visual disconnect. The doll room should be a gothic nightmare, but it reads more like one of Jigsaw’s trap rooms, thanks to the cold color palate and blue light.  

Also, Jigsaw’s puppet, also named Billy, is totally in the doll room, just chilling in the bottom of the frame.  He’s one of the least menacing puppets.

It’s also interesting to see reflections of Wan’s other work in the visuals. There is a scene in a cheap hotel that reminds me of the vivid red neon used in Malignant.

The Good

Before the concept gets weighed down with too much backstory, there are a lot of cool elements. Haunted killer dolls are hard to go completely wrong. Here, Dead Silence nails the look and movement of Mary Shaw and Billy.  

The actors are also fun. Kwanten isn’t given much to do besides look alarmed, sad, or confused, but he does it well. He’s easy to like as a lead, and I wish he was in more horror movies. 

Donnie Wahlberg does a respectable job as the grizzled detective trying to arrest Jamie for murdering his wife. His acting his fine, it’s just the character doesn’t get enough screen time, or doesn’t quite belong.   Even with that issue, I still like watching him. 

I do appreciate James Wan’s aesthetic. It’s fun to watch him evolve as a director, and going back to his early movies reminds me how far his journey has taken him. Dead Silence also highlights Whannel’s strengths at sympathetic characters, with some real stand outs.  In addition to Jamie, the mortician and his wife are fantastic side characters.  They don’t get a lot of screen time, but they show a complete story in the little time they have. 

Final Thoughts

Dead Silence is a perfectly fine horror movie. As a follow up to Saw, it’s a bit underwhelming and doesn’t do enough to show evolution as filmmakers. That’s probably enough to bury it in history.  When hundreds of horror films are released a year, being “good” isn’t good enough. Which is a shame; there are a lot of good movies that deserve more attention. Hopefully, I’ll find the time to watch some of them.

Dead Silence is available on streaming.