The Screaming Silent (2020) User Reviews

Very disappointing.

[flickeringstate · 2/10 · 29 May 2020]

This is a disappointing and clichéd effort. It reminds me of "The Blair Witch Project" with hand-held camera footage and an incoherent script that seems to be put together by a group of college students; a 20 year old format that was good for a few movies.

This movie gets VERY tedious very quickly, there is too much arguing among themselves to the point of it being annoying. The characters are flat and poorly defined, I didn't care if they lived or died or if they got through to a safe and/or happy ending. At 1 hour and 47 minutes, it's an unremarkable, forgettable movie.

I give this 2/10, but if you like this type of movie, you may enjoy it. :)

Is it bad? Yes, it is.

[ckarnoutsos · 3/10 · 3 June 2020]

So, the movie could have been like 38 minutes shorter. The first 38 minutes were about the main male character trying to persuade a girl to star in his movie. The plot is bad. I mean really bad. The main male character acts like a total d*che so, there is no sympathy at all for him. I wished he died from the first 10 minutes. Don't waste almost 2hrs from your life to watch this mess of a film

A Laundromat Movie

[MikeWright75 · 3/10 · 1 June 2020]

You watch it go round and round, tumble tumble, flip flop..and nothing really happens. The acting was more Blair Witch than Blair Witch, and I got up halfway through to make some dinner and by the time I got back still nothing had happened. There's this vague gist of something underdeveloped in the plot that breaches the surface every so often...but like the enticing whiff of fried onions on a burger stand, it just doesn't cut the mustard.

Not very good!

[contactmaz · 1/10 · 29 May 2020]

Terrible acting with a ridiculous story.

The only good thing about the film was the scenery.

Other than that, I really wouldn't bother with it.

Picnic at Hanging Rock Tasmanian style

[daver6 · 2/10 · 19 August 2020]

God, this film was boring. The first half centres around the main character, Kurt, banging on about a not very believable and pretty uninteresting ancestor that he wanted to make a film about, and trying to persuade a certain actress that he was fixated on to play the female star in his move. There did not seem to be any good reason why Kurt needed this actress, competent though she is, and it did not add anything except irritation. The alternative actress they met on a beach would have done just as well. Kurt's backstory and ancestor could have been adequately fleshed out in 10 minutes, and that, combined with using the beach actress, would have saved 45 minutes of watching a self-absorbed bore do....very little. Note to directors; self-absorbed and selfish characters are never likable and never even remotely interesting

Second half, movie organised and actress in place, is the Tasmanian journey to the place where Kurt's ancestor did something unspeakable (left a journal for Kurt to read, IMHO). Que lots of arguing whilst hacking through jungle, past waterfalls and around cliff edge paths. Due to fear of heights, when his mate found it difficult to shuffle along the cliff-edge path clutching his large rucksack, did anyone else yell at Kurt " Take his rucksack from him you selfish git!"? When they reached the place Kurt wanted to film, the remainder of the film was discussions on character motivations, but mainly hand held cameras rushing around at night, everyone split up, chasing or trying to find each other, just like the Blair Witch Project. It was just dire. The ending was dire though the church location was interesting, if not a prop. In 25 years this type of found footage has not advanced one step since BWP, the very first. Also annoying was Kurt selfishness and unwillingness to go back, despite everybody's pleas, and they all just followed him to their doom. Their weakness and obedience became really irritating quite soon.

Do yourself a favour and move on if you see this film in Amazon Prime or whatever.

The Snoring Loud

[haskel-72951 · 2/10 · 2 June 2020]

I am not sure I've ever been bored as much from a found footage film before. That statement says a lot. For an hour we watch a neurotic filmmaker, his friend/producer, and a cameraman walk around Australia trying to convince an average at best actress to accept a role in a ridiculous at best horror film. They talk, they walk, we wait for something to happen. It doesn't. Then....they travel, and things start getting weird. Slowly. Agonizingly slowly. From there, it just gets silly. It does NOT, however, become entertaining. Ever.

Much ado about nothing

[omendata · 2/10 · 4 June 2020]

Wow this must be the first Aussie movie i have had to give a bad review for. This movie is just another shakey bore-cam where nothing much happens until about 10 minutes from the end and even then its all just puerile nonsense.

The story or plot what there is of it holds zero interest, the acting is terrible but it does have some merits in the sound effects/music and some decent scenery as do most Aussie movies but that is about it!

I was just going to delete it after i read the first few reviews and wish I had now - I have just wasted an hour and a half just so that you do not waste yours!

Really, Really Bad. And, not in a good way.

[vegicat · 2/10 · 4 June 2020]

Not even any attempt at a plot. Boring. Terrible, jerky camera angles. Bizarre sound track. Did I mention that there;s no plot? It looks exactly like some weak, self-indulgent first-time producer was taking the piss. I recommend avoiding this movie unless you enjoy being alternately bored to death or annoyed.

Boring yelling

[jani-varpujarvi · 2/10 · 3 June 2020]

Way too long movie. Beginning wasnt interesting in anyway. Too much arguing and yelling. I wished that the main chracter died after half hour. If I had a friend like that.. well I dont. Nobody would like to be around that type of person. Sound mixing was quite bad. I liked couple of soundfx in night scenes when the trees moved. Those night scenes were the best parts of the movie, but they were quite short. Quite a mess.

Lead Protagonist Ruins Entire Movie

[soulcrisis28 · 2/10 · 30 March 2023]

Hello all in movie watcher land once again, here we go with another review explaining why a movie that had some potential possibly was ruined by one, sad, pathetic, weak link.

So brief touch on the plot, the lead guy, "Kurt" has this family history arc that's pretty scandalous and he thinks it's interesting enough to be a movie. So he turns it into a screenplay and drops out of college and uses what's left of his college tuition money and whatnot to venture out to make his Opus. Did I mention he did all this for a girl? An actress that he met once at a party, got creepily, stalkery, infatuated with and attached to and he admits multiple times, even to her face! That he did this all for her.

Oh, did I mention she's an Aussie and he's flown half way around the world to track her down in Australia and get her to do his movie as it's lead opposite of him? Yeah there's that too.

Seriously folks, this guy acts, does, and says the most annoying and creepiest things throughout the course of this movie and I'm only 25 mins into it! THAT'S how much this chump has ruined this movie and annoyed me in it! 25 mins and he's just completely ruined and turned into a big smelly pile of 💩.

On top of that, the way he looks, talks, and his voice sounds makes you just wanna reach through the TV and just punch his face to pulp. Once you realize you can't go that you almost pick your boot up to chunk that at your TV and him on it.

This guy, yeah I don't even care enough to learn his actual name, he's "Kurt" in the movie, needs to never be in another movie...EVER! Even his body is weird and creepy. He has this hunch in his upper back already and the guys like in his 20's! And his arms are like eerily long and skinny so add that the hunch back and creepy face that you just wanna immediately punch upon laying eyes on it then listen to him talk and you've got a recipe for disaster and a movie with a little potential completely ruined.

Just skip this one folks, do yourself and your ears, and your eyes a favor and skip it. Until next time...ciao.

had potential for a new found footage

[smoke0 · 6 June 2021]

I wanted to raise the score a bit due to the really good fx, which don't look like cgi, and the little homages to better films, except for the one at the end which is just cringeworthy, but that's the entire problem with this movie, you can admire some aspects at the same time you are grimacing at others. Too much time wasted on setup, rushed editing, illogical character arcs and actions and far too many unanswered questions and opportunities ruins what could have been a good story, but I did watch to the end and yes, I agree, the horror, the horror, at wasted potential.

Enticingly dark

[helldesk666 · 6/10 · 29 May 2020]

So yes, there is a wink to Blair Witch Project (in the movie itself too) and a bit to Apocalypse Now (The Heart of Darkness). Kudos for the makers to put that in themselves and not get people to scream "rip-off".

All in all, I liked this film. The story-telling, the mysterious box, the myth of 200 years ago. Well made and well told.

Beautiful Bella McDiarmid does a good job, so do the other actors. The scenery is astonishing (I hope to get to see Australia one day, but not in the woods at night). Nice artwork too.

The docu-style film genre does get a bit tedious at times (and claustrophopic), but I think here it was handled rather well. And I got an Edgar Allan Poe vibe. And just as I write this, I hear a raven outside. Hope I'm not cursed.

Also I really liked this quote: "People are always talking about the endings of films - oh I didn't see that coming... it's so like life, you never do."

I went in assuming the film could not possibly be worse than the stupid title

[srussell1234 · 2/10 · 25 June 2020]

I was totally wrong. You can't make the background scenery bad but neither can it carry the film Skip - don't rent - don't watch - even if desperate for something new. The lead is not very good, the whole hand-held narrative over-done by now and some the decisions simply boggle the mind. If you really must seen the countryside then simply google the country - there are some amazing travel narratives available

I fell asleep.

[suzannebainbridge · 1/10 · 21 October 2020]

I didn't actually fall asleep but I was close to it a couple of times.

Give it a miss there is nothing redeemable about this film.

Mr.jaber

[gxzq · 7/10 · 28 June 2020]

When you watch this movie and see the quality of its filming, you will say this is bad, but when you look at the story you will find that it is unique and the idea of filming the events of the movie is genius, not as usual.

Blair Witch Down Under

[ladymidath · 6/10 · 4 April 2024]

I don't understand why there are so many low reviews for this movie. It is actually pretty good. Okay, it is a little slow to get started and way too much time is spent with the director Kurt played by Andrew Lindqvist chasing a young actress, Shae played by Bella MacDiarmid to get her to star in his film.

Once it gets going though, it is really good. The Tasmanian scenery is gorgeous and it is the perfect place to film a horror movie. The music and sound effects really help to add to the bleak and disturbing atmosphere as well.

The other cast members, Ross Magnat, Gary Brun, Whitney Boyd, and Derek Pascoe were great and played their roles as the other members of the cast and crew to the indie movie that Kurt was determined to make.

The only real problem is that is it very derivative of The Blair Witch Project and other similar found footage movies. Even the fight scenes and members being lured away by distant screams, I half expected them to start screaming Josh.

But despite all that, I found myself enjoying the movie and really wanting to see how it all turned out. The story was an interesting one involving murders and long dead ancestors and even though the ending was not quite what I expected but it was still good, The acting was solid and there were some very creepy moments that made me jump. Any movie that can do that is okay in my book.

Obviously this is not a movie for everyone, but I thought it was better than a lot of the cheaply made found footage movies that are being churned out these days,