What do you get when you combine Leigh Whannell’s writing, the acting of Jason Stackhouse and a New Kid on the Block, and a terrifying ventriloquist’s dummy? Turns out, you get a movie that is far better than I thought it would be. Dead Silence starts out strong – a kill in the first twenty minutes. Ryan Kwanten (I suppose I should give him credit for being a human beyond Jason Stackhouse) carries our lead, Jamie, through a series of terrifying trials and tribulations tied to a very creepy wooden dummy. We even get a glimpse of Bob Gunton, most recently seen in the Daredevil series, as Jamie’s father. Certainly, there are some less-than-fabulous effects and some predictable plot points, but there are also some surprisingly scary moments and a very fun origin story for the dummy. A very fun ride.
