John R. Leonetti (Annabelle, Wolves at the Door) will be tackling another horror film for his next project. Titled Silence, the film will follow a deaf teenager who is plagued by a lethal species of bat.
Synopsis:
The story follows the terrifying tale of Ally, a deaf teenager, and her family whose world is turned upside down by a deadly and primeval force. In the fields near her New Jersey home, a colony of bats are attacked by a parasitic insect and soon morph into a new lethal species called Vesps. As the blind, winged creatures quickly grow, spread and attack the human population, Ally’s heightened senses become her strength. She can feel when the Vesps are close and realises that even the slightest noise summons them in huge numbers. She and her family seek refuge in the woods where they must live in total silence. Amidst the creature chaos, they learn that humans can be just as dangerous when they are fighting to survive.
The story is based on the novel, The Silence, from author Tim Lebbon and the screenplay has been written by Carey and Shane Van Dyke (Chernobyl Diaries, The Sacred).
After Mike Flanagan’s Hush and Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe, it seems that film-makers are keen to show that disabilities can birth strong abilities, making those that appear to be weakened, stronger than the “more able” around them. Ally’s deafness becomes her strength and one that is important for the survival of her family, promoting a positive message that shines a light on individual differences.
The blend of creature feature and human drama sounds mighty appealing, so we can’t wait to hear more from Silence at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Words: Jessy Williams (@JessyCritical)
