High-Octane
Summary
The Silencer lacks big set-pieces but I was drawn in by the story and Michael Dudikoff’s charismatic killer Quinn; there are a few action scenes to keep things moving so it’s never boring.
Plot: A federal agent is assigned to get the inside scoop on a dangerous terrorist group. In order to blend into their ranks, he’s forced to fake his own death and make friends with the group’s deadly but charismatic hitman.
Review: I’m sure I’ve said this before somewhere but I’ve always loved movies about hitmen; I’m not sure why the genre appeals to me so much but the ‘hitman with a heart’ story grabs me very time.
The Silencer stars Michael Dudikoff as world weary killer Quinn who takes a young charge under his wing called Jason Black (Brennan Elliott); what Quinn doesn’t know (at first) is that Jason is actually FBI agent Jason Wells who is undercover and trying to bring down a terrorist organization known only as The Group.
The Silencer feels like a made for TV movie as it doesn’t have any major swearing or graphic violence however, it’s still a gripping yarn with a nice conspiracy to keep you guessing as to who can be trusted throughout. Some of it is admittedly predictable but all of the background chat about J. Edgard Hoover and the Kennedy assassination adds extra intrigue making this a fun watch.
There are no big set-pieces here with only a few shootings and a car crash but it’s still engaging due to the characters and story. Dudikoff was always an underrated talent to me and he shines in this kind of role. Quinn is indeed a killer but he does have his own set of rules where he won’t murder innocent people so there is a (slight) moral compass there.
The performances generally are better than average and I liked Brennan Elliott as Jason who eventually bonds with Quinn as they discover who the real villains are.
It had been many years since I last watched this so I forgot the various twists which keeps things well paced.
Overall, The Silencer is an entertaining hitman tale with decent performances and an engaging story; it doesn’t have that much in the way of action but there’s enough to keep viewers entertained.