Within our dungeons filled with criminals, there are scores of endless thieves, scammers and murderers crying out for a second chance. Society would like to throw away the key once and for all. Silent Retreat is a prison with a different deal; you get the second chance – you just don’t get to cry out at all.
In this ridiculous drama, exclusively female prisoners are to embrace the cruelty of silence under the heel of men. Women condemned to jail are granted this option so they can avoid hard time. It’s a curious thriller where the impact of quiteness itself toys with the theme of power and how humans negotiate under tyranny, suggesting a deeper and potentially interesting exploration of psychology.
And then it disappointingly reduces itself to two-dimensional stereotypes. Baby-faced Jenish, who is clearly far too weak for the role and could have easily been replaced by a stronger and more fearsome actress, is thrown into the camp after committing an act of violence. They must face the crummy Hannibal Lector knockoff which misses out the part where there’s the masterful and cunning, and merely appears slimey and manipulative.
The women who universally make up the camp against their male guards are treated mercilessly. They’re marched everywhere, spoken down to like children, with scenes suggesting they are routinely molested, while simultaneously demanded to be good wives; and it is also hinted they haven’t even committed a real crime to be there. Also there’s an insane monster on the loose that eats people at random.
Yeah so this is absolute crap. It’s a shame, because the initial setup is legitimately interesting, and offers a landscape where people could be exploring their darkness through an intimate secrecy under a fearsome oppression. Instead it devolves into a bunch of bullshit about punishment and payback. Disappointing and not thrilling.
3/10
Possession Media 