‘Silent Bite’ Review
Stars: Luke Avoledo, Nick Biskupek, Simon Phillips, Michael Swatton, Dan Molson, Sayla de Goede, Camille Blott, Paul Whitney | Written by Simon Phillips | Directed by Taylor Martin
Silent Bite is the third exercise in seasonal slaughter from writer/actor Simon Phillips, who also gave us Once Upon a Time at Christmas and its sequel The Nights Before Christmas. While they weren’t the greatest examples of the genre, they were far from the worst as well, and they do say the third time is the charm, so I decided to kick off my Christmas viewing with it.
A gang of Santa suited bank robbers, Prancer (Luke Avoledo; I Hate People, People Hate Me, Womb Envy), Grinch (Nick Biskupek; What Lurks Beneath, Butchers Book Two: Raghorn), Father Christmas (Simon Phillips), and Snowman (Michael Swatton; C.A.M., Butchers Book Three: Bonesaw), are hiding out at The Jolly Roger Inn and Resort. Despite its name, it’s a dump in the middle of nowhere, which makes it perfect for them to lie low while Rudolph (Dan Molson; An Unexpected Killer, Family History Mysteries: Buried Past) leads the police on a wild good chase.
It also made it perfect for Mother (Sayla de Goede; The Damnation, The Affair Conspiracy) and her girls to hold the initiation rites for Genie (Camille Blott; My Husband’s Worst Mistake, All is Fine in ’89) who is joining their ranks, whether she wants to or not.
The influence of From Dusk Til Dawn on Silent Bite would be impossible to ignore, even if Nick Biskupek didn’t look so much like Tom Savini. That’s not the only Tarantino influence on the film, though, as the squabbling gang, known only by their codenames, lying low after an off-screen robbery immediately put me in mind of Reservoir Dogs as well. Actually, the robbery isn’t entirely off-screen, we get a montage of nice-looking comic book panels illustrating the heist and chase afterwards.
Taylor Martin (Simulacrum, Billy Must Live) makes her feature-length debut with Silent Bite, and she does a good job of building suspense and keeping things interesting through the first hour. Even if the title and poster didn’t give it away, there’s no real suspense as to just what Mother and her brood are, but the glimpses we get, such as security cam footage of the motel’s desk clerk (Paul Whitney; The Grey Fox, Ice Road Killer) seemingly arguing with himself, help build a sense of anticipation for the inevitable conflict.
That’s helped by a setting that, while dark and ominous, is also fairly familiar and relatable. Pretty much everyone has stayed in a hotel, and many of us have had the experience of staying in a near-empty one at some point. That makes Timothy Davis’ (Willowvale Harbor, The Burned Over District) cinematography, with an assist from Darren Morze’s (The Lady of the Lake, Escape: Puzzle of Fear) score, much more effective.
Unfortunately, the setup somewhat exceeds the film’s payoff, as the film takes too long to get down to business finally and is entirely too tame in its execution. The vampire’s attacks lack the brutality that a tale of hard men against harder creatures calls for. And seeing a flashbang cause the undead to disintegrate in a burst of CGI sparks lacks the impact of an old-fashioned stake through the heart. I give the filmmakers credit for trying something a little different, but it didn’t really work for me.
In the end, we’re left with a film that, while entertaining, never manages to reach its full potential. With all the big guns and creatures of the night we see Silent Bite needed a much stronger conclusion. Thankfully, it’s not as bad as the non-ending Phillips’ last film The Mouse Trap, but it still turns what could have been an addition to the yearly Yuletide horror viewing list into a decent one-time watch.
**½ 2.5/5
Silent Bite is available on Blu-ray as well as Digital and VOD Platforms from Cleopatra Entertainment.
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