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Silence

Play trailer 2:13 Poster for Silence R 2017 2h 41m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 288 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), embark on a perilous journey to Japan to find their missing mentor (Liam Neeson). While there, the two men minister to the Christian villagers who worship in secret. If caught by feudal lords or ruling samurai, they must renounce their faith or face a prolonged and agonizing death.
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Silence

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Critics Consensus

Silence ends Martin Scorsese's decades-long creative quest with a thoughtful, emotionally resonant look at spirituality and human nature that stands among the director's finest works.

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Critics Reviews

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Wenlei Ma News.com.au Feb 15, 2017
3/5
While it is certainly more like an endurance race than a stroll through the park, there is something redeeming in its cinematic beauty. Go to Full Review
Claudia Puig The Asahi Shimbun GLOBE (Japan) Feb 2, 2017
2.5/4
While the craftsmanship is undeniable and the themes of spiritual belief, betrayal and redemption are laudable, the film feels flat and not as emotional or moving as it should be. Go to Full Review
Amy Nicholson MTV Jan 13, 2017
B+
Scorsese doesn't glorify martyrdom, and he doesn't even hate the killers. He makes death as blunt and dull and useless as a snapped pencil. The point is that there is no point. Go to Full Review
Christos Tsiolkas The Saturday Paper Aug 19, 2026
This irreconcilable separation between the sacred and profane, the spiritual and the material, the intellectual and the visceral, is clearly central to Scorsese’s understanding of faith. This is a staggeringly moving work. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Jul 28, 2025
3/5
It is an agonizing personal test for an audience, just the same as it is for the characters on screen. This will either be a soul-rattling testament or maddening torture. Go to Full Review
Mike Thorn Vague Visages Dec 12, 2023
Rodrigues commits to the preservation of his Christianity, refusing to apostatize no matter what the consequences might be. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Shona H @RT19899047 14 hrs ago Incredible acting, especially from Andrew Garfield. The scenery, music and historical accuracies are very well done. It is thought provoking and creates a space for discussion about Christianity and faith. However, the story lacks a conclusion. What was the final message of this film? No idea. See more Benjamin W @Code70 6 days ago It looks absolutely incredible, just shot unbelievably well, and the landscapes and the scenery look gorgeous. You have some amazing performances here, most notably Andrew Garfield. Might be the best I’ve ever seen him be. And as an exploration of Christian grief, persecution, crises of faith, it succeeds tremendously. But its theology behind apostasy is seriously problematic. As a Baptist Protestant, I already disagree with much of the Roman Catholicism presented in the film, but I’m able to overlook that and take it on its own terms. I cannot, however, overlook Scorsese’s ultimate message on apostasy, and how one can publicly apostatize daily “quickly and vigorously”, and still be a true Christian in the faith. Or, moreover, that Jesus would approve of Rodriguez’s blasphemy in order to alleviate pain. I still think the film is very valuable; it forces Christians to examine the strength and substance of their own faith. But I disagree with its central theology. See more Triston W @Triston1 Aug 14, 2026 As a “devout” Christian this is one of the most humbling and thought provoking films. Deep introspection and many questions that are important to ask to ones soul. Will be watching this many more times. It is not my favorite movie, it is the most essential movie I have ever seen See more Landon J @Minxsykitty Jul 28, 2026 Painfully uninteresting as religious piece and even less as an entertainment piece. It's just plainly and thoroughly uninteresting. I think mainly it fails to focus on something important to tie in the story as a whole or make the audience engaged with the characters. See more Andres E @Andre805 Jul 19, 2026 This film was definitely underrated. It was a little long for my taste, but still a great movie. The scene with the 3 guys on the crosses in the water gave me chills. Great movie to watch. See more Andrew S @Malasita Jul 6, 2026 Great underrated Scorsese film. See more Read all reviews
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Silence

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), embark on a perilous journey to Japan to find their missing mentor (Liam Neeson). While there, the two men minister to the Christian villagers who worship in secret. If caught by feudal lords or ruling samurai, they must renounce their faith or face a prolonged and agonizing death.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Producer
Martin Scorsese, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Randall Emmett, Barbara De Fina, Gastón Pavlovich, Irwin Winkler, Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Screenwriter
Martin Scorsese, Jay Cocks
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Sharpsword Films, G&G, Sikelia, YLK, EFO Films, Catchplay
Rating
R (Disturbing Violent Content)
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 13, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.1M
Runtime
2h 41m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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