James Wan’s Underrated Follow-Up to ‘Saw’ Haunts a New Streaming Service

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Most people immediately associate James Wan with big Hollywood franchises such as Fast & Furious and Aquaman. However, longtime fans remember his roots in the horror genre. Before he created successful series like The Conjuring and Insidious, Wan first gained recognition with the intense film Saw. But the movie he made immediately after Saw is often overlooked. That film is Dead Silence, which became available on Peacock on October 1.

In Dead Silence, Jamie and Lisa Ashen receive a strange package left at their door. Jamie opens it and discovers a creepy ventriloquist dummy called Billy. After briefly stepping away, he comes back to find Lisa brutally murdered. Once he’s been cleared of any wrongdoing, Jamie goes back to his hometown, Raven’s Fair, determined to uncover the truth behind his wife’s death. Upon his return, he finds a run-down, isolated town harboring hidden secrets that may be connected to the tragedy. According to Rotten Tomatoes:

When Jamie Ashen’s (Ryan Kwanten) wife is tragically killed, he goes back to their unsettling hometown of Ravens Fair to figure out what happened. He soon learns about Mary Shaw (Judith Roberts), a ventriloquist who was murdered, and whose frightening spirit still haunts the town. As Jamie frantically searches for clues, he uncovers the curse that caused his wife’s death and now puts him in danger.

Even though James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who also wrote the original Saw, were still riding high from the success of their first movie, Saw had quickly become a whole franchise. In 2007, we got Saw IV, but also something completely different from them – their next project together. Dead Silence was a big shift in the type of horror they’d done so well with back in 2004. As a fan, I was really curious to see if the Wan/Whannell team could pull it off again, but with a totally new approach.

The film didn’t do well with critics or viewers, earning just over $22 million despite costing $20 million to make. Critics weren’t impressed, and it currently has a 21% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While the critics’ score is low, audiences gave it a slightly better score of 51%.

‘Dead Silence’ Is James Wan’s Most Underrated Movie


Universal Pictures

James Wan, the director of films like Insidious, Aquaman, and The Conjuring, has worked on many large-budget projects. However, Saw was the film that first showcased his skill as a storyteller, proving he could create a gripping story with unsettling imagery. Many would argue that the horror genre still allows Wan to truly shine and express his distinctive style.

Malignant truly stands out as a prime example of this. The 2021 film from Warner Bros. cemented Wan’s reputation as a director who isn’t afraid to break the rules of contemporary horror. Meanwhile, Dead Silence remains his most overlooked work. Despite criticisms of uneven pacing, the movie showcases Wan at his most creatively wild. While his take on classic “haunted house” and “ghost story” elements isn’t entirely new, the opening scene is terrifying enough to demonstrate his talent for crafting scary movies.

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2025-10-05 18:33