The Silencing

_**Murder, vengeance and justice in the wilderness of the northern Great Lakes region**_ The alcoholic owner of a wildlife sanctuary (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the new Sheriff of a northern Minnesota county (Annabelle Wallis) discover evidence of someone possibly hunting girls. The former craves vengeance and the latter wants justice while questioning her troubled little brother’s involvement (Hero Fiennes). Zahn McClarnon, Melanie Scrofano and Shaun Smyth are also on hand. "The Silencing" (2020) is a wilderness crime mystery/thriller along the lines of “The Vanished” (2020), but with elements of “Kiss the Girls” (1997). Some armchair critics are rash to point out supposed flaws, but practically everything is logically explained with a little imagination. Sure, there are movie-isms, like in the last acts of “A Simple Plan” (1998) and “The Virtuoso” (2021), but that’s par for the course in cinema, particularly this genre. Nikolaj makes for a quality masculine protagonist and it’s always a pleasure to see Annabelle Wallis. There’s a surprise or two along with the formula. The fact that the melancholic story keeps you guessing is a plus, not to mention the picturesque cinematography. The movie runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, which is about an hour’s drive due west of North Bay. GRADE: B

I found myself enjoying thriller, heavily influenced by The Most Dangerous Game, among others. While the story had its pitfalls, the cinematography and acting were solid.