Overview
A gripping exploration of faith and doubt in a foreign land during a time of persecution.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- austere
- contemplative
- harrowing
- serious movie night
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a thoughtful, emotionally resonant, visually monumental examination of spirituality, human nature, and moral responsibility.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rodrigues and Garupe enter Japan to investigate Ferreira's apostasy while witnessing the torture and killing of Japanese Christians.
The missionaries' journey through hostile landscapes, interrogations, and purges is presented as punishing and contemplative rather than triumphant.
Portuguese Jesuit missionaries attempt to sustain Christianity in Japan while authorities resist foreign religious influence and defend established traditions.
The rumored apostasy and disappearance of Father Ferreira motivate Rodrigues and Garupe's journey to Japan.
Films like Silence, and why
The Mission
shared historical drama, religious persecution, moral anguish, and spiritually searching tone
A Man for All Seasons
shared austere historical drama, institutional cruelty, faith under pressure, and contemplative pacing
The Last Temptation of Christ
shared historical persecution, Catholic themes, oppressive atmosphere, and profound moral conflict
First Reformed
shared intense faith crisis, psychological suffering, and serious philosophical drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 2016-12-23
- Runtime
- 161 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (3418)
Cast
- Andrew Garfield
- Adam Driver
- Liam Neeson
- Tadanobu Asano
- Ciarán Hinds
- Issey Ogata
- Shinya Tsukamoto
- Yoshi Oida
- Yosuke Kubozuka
- Kaoru Endō
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Silence about?
- Two Jesuit missionaries confront persecution, cultural resistance, and the unbearable moral cost of sustaining faith in seventeenth-century Japan.
- What is Silence like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Silence as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Silence violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Silence as graphic.
- What did critics think of Silence?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a thoughtful, emotionally resonant, visually monumental examination of spirituality, human nature, and moral responsibility.
- Which films are like Silence?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mission, A Man for All Seasons, The Last Temptation of Christ, and First Reformed.
- How long is Silence?
- Silence runs 161 minutes.
- Where can I watch Silence?
- In United States, Silence is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling.
