The release of Elvis exploded onto viewers' screens due to the king of rock's iconic music, with fans invited into the world of showbiz. The movie was fast-paced, electric, and ultimately a rollercoaster of emotions as it showcased both the highs and lows of Elvis Presley's life, making it a powerful and emotive flick.
Whilst the movie was loud and proud, it encouraged Redditors to also appreciate those movies with little to no dialogue that are just as powerful in storytelling. Through incredible visuals and the employment of different forms of communication, these ten movies prove storytelling doesn't always require speech!
Cast Away (2000)
Stream On Netflix
Cast Away is one of Tom Hank's most iconic roles and is considered one of the best survival films of all time due to his incredible performance that led fans to believe he was stranded. The film opens with a plane crash, with its only survivor being Chuck Noland, whose desire to survive sees him come up with innovative ways to ensure he returns home.
By placing viewers on the beach with Chuck, the movie encourages the viewer to feel the same isolation he is experiencing by the lack of dialogue that, for some, proved to be a grueling watch. However, for others, Chuck's silence made Cast Away such a great survival film as it exemplified his surroundings and the potential problems coming his way, resulting in the movie receiving a nomination for Best Sound.
Nomadland (2020)
Stream On Disney+
Nomadland is the perfect flick for viewers seeking a relaxing movie night and continues to be as successful now as when it hit screens in 2020. The movie sought to provide its viewers with an insight into being a nomad through Fern, who packs up her life and meets others that have ditched their lives to become a nomad.
Although Fern meets many people on her travels, the movie doesn't contain much dialogue, relying heavily on silent moments of reflection alongside stunning scenery that promotes the nomad way of life. Nomadland only employs speech when the people Fern meets along the way share their stories, making each one of their stories all the more powerful amongst the constant scenes that show Fern lost within her thoughts.
Wall-E (2008)
Stream On Disney+
Wall-E was one of the first animated flicks to emphasize an issue dominating society and its future if viewers continue to engage with the mass consumption of goods. The movie tells the story of Wall-E, a robot tasked with cleaning the earth, before he meets Eve and falls in love as the pair attempt to save the world.
Wall-E contains almost no dialogue and employs visual storytelling through vibrant coloring, high-quality animation, and universal gestures, intensified by its realistic sound effects. This fun flick mirrors the world viewers know all too well and replaces dialogue with shocking imagery to teach viewers a valuable message about their future without explicitly saying anything.
The Tree Of Life (2011)
Rent On AppleTV
The Tree Of Life is one movie fans need to watch twice to fully understand not only the movie's plot but also its deep-rooted message. The movie follows Jack as he grows up and attempts to heal his relationship with his father whilst simultaneously questioning his parent's teaching as he explores the world around him.
The film is an experimental flick with a complex plot that is difficult to understand due to its arthouse version of storytelling. This obscure flick abandons speech for stunning visuals and symbolism that takes viewers on a spiritual experience that answers many existential questions about life, faith, and the world, encouraging fans to take what they need through Jack's coming-of-age story.
The Shape Of Water (2017)
Rent On Prime Video
The Shape Of Water combines romance and fantasy to create a love story between a lonely janitor and the monster trapped within a tube. The movie cleverly highlights how speech isn't the only form of communication through sign language and gestures, creating a romance between two silent characters whose love speaks for itself.
By omitting dialogue between the two main characters, The Shape Of Water showcases the isolation that can come with having a disability and uses the social model of disability to skillfully remind viewers that inclusivity can mean utilizing different forms of communication.
Wild (2014)
Rent On AppleTV
Wild is one of the best movies guaranteed to inspire wanderlust through the character of Cheryl, a recent divorcee seeking a new start in life by embarking on a hike that results in her discovering who she is. Based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed, the movie motivates viewers to enter onto a journey of self-development with the knowledge that it won't always be easy.
With Cheryl's expedition being a lonesome one, the movie presents her story of grief through many moments of silence that added to the movie's thought-provoking plot. Wild's lack of dialogue doesn't just represent how lonely the grieving process can be but also how empowering silence can be in the face of it all, encouraging viewers to feel the same emotion as Cheryl and reflect on themselves in those gaps of silence.
Fantasia (1940)
Stream On Disney+
Fantasia firmly cements itself as a Disney classic and contains surprisingly sharp animation despite being created in 1940. The movie took form as an experiment and paired visual imagery with classical music as an insight into improvisation, which soon led to the test run turning into a feature-length movie with an impressive runtime of over 2 hours.
The fun flick captivates younger and older viewers with its slick animation encouraging fans to feel every emotion through explosive color and lighting due to the movie's lack of speech. However, music also plays a massive role in bringing the animated flick to life as it fills in the gap where dialogue would be, telling the story through visual cues and the tone of classical tunes!
Drive (2011)
Stream On Prime Video
Drive is one of the best modern film noir movies to date and stars Ryan Gosling as a driver, who falls in love with the wife of a criminal that he seeks to protect from her husband's gang, which sometimes leads to him dabbling in the world of crime too.
Ryan Gosling may appear as the main character, but unlikely most leading actors he has the least lines in the whole movie, which itself does not contain much dialogue. Nicolas Winding Refn did this on purpose to tell the story through impressive car stunts and body language, clear through Ryan Gosling's stylish yet enigmatic personality that helped Drive build suspense, keeping viewers guessing.
The Shallows (2016)
Stream On Prime Video
The Shallows sees Blake Lively in a very different role to her famous character Serena Van Der Woodson, as she becomes Nancy, who travels to an isolated beach in the hope of finding solace in the sea after the death of her mother. However, her trip soon goes south when she is attacked by a sharp that essentially renders her stranded 200 yards from shore.
The isolated setting of the movie may at first seem like a sanctuary but soon becomes the reason for the film's limited dialogue, with Nancy only uttering screams for help alongside snippets of her internal monologue. The lack of speech encourages viewers to feel the same fear as Nancy whilst simultaneously rooting for her as The Shallows employs visual storytelling to allow fans to accompany Nancy on each mission to escape.
The Artist (2011)
Rent On AppleTV
The Artist transports viewers to 1927 Hollywood and the glamour that surrounded it by returning fans to the time of the silent film. The movie relies slowly on facial expressions and gestures to tell the story of Peppy and George, which is executed perfectly by the energetic performances from Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo.
The pair embody the slick and fast-moving pace of the silent era to create a modern flick that celebrates the beginning of cinema and replaces its dialogue with an incredible soundtrack that situates fans within Hollywood.