The Silent Party (La Fiesta Silenciosa) is an Argentinian thriller that takes on a difficult subject. It is the day before Laura’s (Jazmin Stuart) wedding and she is understandably anxious. She has a couple of drinks and stumbles into an unusual party that is next door to her father’s ranch. She is able to relax and have a good time until a horrible event occurs. This leads to a search for vengeance that involves Laura’s soon to be husband Daniel (Esteban Bigliardi) and her father Leon (Gerardo Romano).
Horror has never been afraid to tackle difficult issues and the one here is no different. It has an unfortunate history in the genre and has only recently produced worthwhile films with any consistency. This puts The Silent Party in a very difficult situation once the incident begins. What is already an uncomfortable moment becomes more discomforting due to cinema history.
Thankfully, director Diego Fried does not lean into the more exploitive moments of his film. Due to the nature of The Silent Party, gender roles are an important part. In this case, when Daniel and Leon insist on helping Laura after what has happened. This is the expected reaction, but what is interesting here is the reasoning. The machismo found in Latinx culture is addressed her. The idea of avenging Laura seems to be less important than showing who she belongs to.
It is an interesting idea that is never fully developed. There is a dynamic between the three that leaves audiences wondering what direction things are going. By the time the final act comes around, it is clear The Silent Party has nothing new to say. What seems like it is going to be a character study becomes just another female revenge film. The first two acts prevent it from being bad, but the female revenge drama genre has changed so much that it is a disappointment.
The Silent Party will be available on Apple iTunes, Amazon, VUDU, Google in the United States and Canada July 12
You must be logged in to post a comment Login