Mute Witness1995
Mute Witness (1995)
Mute Witness Photos
Movie Info
Cast
as Billy

as Billie
as Karen

as Andy
as Larsen
as Arkadi

as Lyosha

as Strohbecker
as The Reaper

as Wartschuk
as Janitor

as Lovett

as Mitja

as Inspector Pekar

as Officer Mlekov

as Victim

as Actress

as Fake Policeman

as Fake Policeman

as Double

as Angry Neighbour

as Neighbor's Wife

as Lab Assistant

as Alex

as Natasha

as Angry Props Manager

as Peeping Tom
Critic Reviews for Mute Witness
All Critics (24) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (4) | DVD (2)
Waller's witty, well-crafted yet unpretentious thriller--about American youths who make a movie in Moscow and get involved with the underworld--is a seductive piece of filmmaking that should keep viewers hyperventilating to the last reel.
Though this slight but agreeable nail-biter loses a couple steps before its wrap-up, it's not before offering one of the funniest variations yet on the furious neighbor who wonders what's going on in the upstairs apartment.
Anthony Waller's Mute Witness is one of those films, like Halloween or Blood Simple, where a strong story and a skillful use of horror film technique causes you to forget the low budget and limited production values.
It's possibly the best film in the history of UK-Russian-German co-productions. Ideal for a Halloween night. [Full review in Spanish]
A mute woman as protagonist here is a commentary on all the ways in which women who come forward with stories of violence are disbelieved or outright silenced.
Mute Witness grips us from the start, and never lets up.
Audience Reviews for Mute Witness
Made a long, wide hallway chase look very scary. That cat-and-mouse and the sound of a murder victim screaming for the mute witness would fit well in your nightmares.
Super Reviewer
Billy Hughes is a mute young lady working for make-up on a cheap horror picture being filmed in Moscow by an American director. One night Billy gets locked in the movie studio. Later that night she hears that someone might be in the building and goes to check it out. That's when she stumbles across a woman being brutally murdered, while being filmed. After escaping the clutches of the murderers, Billy informs the authorities, only to be red-faced when the men show it was an act. Billy knows what she saw and soon her life is in turmoil again from underground figures that believe she has something of importance. I don't know how this heart-pounding sleeper passed me by, but I thought it was a much older flick. There's one thing though, it's got to be one of the most jarringly, and intense thrillers I've seen in quite a while. It's just a great suspense builder and mostly everything clicks into place! The first half of the feature is surprisingly gripping with taut sequences that have your heart in your throat and clouds us with an atmospherically foreboding environment of alienation. Underling this is a humorously wicked black streak. Faults do pop up in the story, as it does lose that furious grip it held so early and goofy humour (or better putter comic relief) between Fay Ripley and Evan Richard's characters is a hit and miss affair by being too forceful. In the long run, it probably could have done without. Despite some cringe moments, this aspect didn't hinder my enjoyment of it. For me, the soft ending they decided to go with just didn't feel right. The interestingly mysterious premise was eerie to the bone and packed some unsettling goods. So multi-facet was the context and its thrills, there was something fresh to how this all plays out and the nervy jolts and unbearable tension are weaved into a range of sudden plot turns and twists. Really, they made superb use of the novel idea of this disability and to handicap the situation, by staging it in a foreign place where not too many spoke English and so we are caught up in the confusion too. The delicate Marina Zudina gives a harrowing portrayal of the American mute girl Billy. The way she able to display the erratic emotions through her eyes and actions gave it some gruff and believability. Director Anthony Waller shoots the flick in a rather stylish, well-timed and skillful manner, without loosing that grimy look that eventuates from its rigid surroundings and a powerfully airy music score persistently nags at you. The only real name to make an appearance was small cameo part by Alec Guinness. The performances by the cast were all fine, especially the nail biting turns by Oleg Yankovsky and Igor Volkov as the Russian murderers. This riveting feature that's mostly made up of unknowns, is way better than your average dark thriller.
Super Reviewer
This films a bit over 10 years old and they're remaking it! I can understand why, it's a great thriller with some really intense scenes and fun comedy that doesn't seem too out of place. One of the best "snuff film" films.
Super Reviewer
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