Sound of Silence uses one of the most popular tropes in horror: the cursed object. Emma (Penelope Sangiorgi) returns to her family home in Italy after her father is injured. She cares for her father alone while he is in recovery. She soon comes across an antique radio and the evil entity that resides with it. As the supernatural force becomes stronger, she must learn its dark secret in order to survive the night.
Italian horror has a long and distinguished history. While output from other countries have taken center stage regarding genre cinema, good scary movies still come out of Italy. Sound of Silence is a little too disjointed to join the classics, but it is still a fine addition. Before things even begin, the title gives a clue as to what to expect. There are going to be plenty of jump scares based around audio cues.
When people talk about the good sound design in horror movies, they are usually referring to the soundtrack. The history of horror cinema is filled with iconic music that has transcended the genre and entered mainstream pop culture. Here, the score does its job, but never really stands out. Instead, the filmmakers use flicking switches and dials as a signal. It sounds like it would remove the tension, but Sound of Silence is filled with effective scares.
The plot is a traditional ghost story that has elements of modern storytelling. The three person creative team that wrote the film also served as the directors, and at times, it feels like it. There are a number of good ideas in Sound of Silence, but there is also a noticeable lack of cohesion. Despite the disconnected filmmaking, there is enough here to make this an enjoyable watch.
Sound of Silence comes to VOD and digital March 9
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