For the most part, The Silencing takes place in the vast wilderness, meaning that the producers and location scouts had to settle on the perfect settings to capture the intense and ominous vibes of the film. They eventually settled on one specific town in Canada, which provided the background for the movie. The 2020 American-Canadian action thriller tells the story of a sheriff and a former hunter who attempt to track down a serial killer (who was allegedly behind the hunter’s daughter’s kidnapping five years prior) on the loose in the woods.
The Silencing stars Annabelle Wallis as Alice Gustafson (the aforementioned sheriff), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Rayburn Swanson (the hunter), Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Brooks Gustafson, Zahn McClarnon as Karl Blackhawk, Melanie Scrofano as Debbie, Shaun Smyth as Dr. Boone, and Danielle Ryan as Dr. Patel. Robin Pront directed the project, while Micah Ranum wrote the screenplay. The film premiered on August 14, 2020, and mostly received negative reviews from critics. On the other hand, the Canadian project was a hit with audiences and experienced a spike in popularity when new viewers discovered it on Netflix in late 2023.
Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
According to The Cinemaholic, the cast and crew of The Silencing filmed the movie exclusively in the city of Greater Sudbury in the province of Ontario in Canada. However, the producers initially intended for production to take place overseas in Europe. That plan evidently did not work out (for unknown reasons), so they moved principal photography to Greater Sudbury, located north of Toronto and about a four-hour drive from the major city.
While in the Canadian town, the production team took advantage of its rugged ambiance to capture the intense scenes in The Silencing. A real cabin was used for the interior and exterior sequences at Rayburn’s home, while the woods surrounding the city doubled as the woods where Rayburn and Sheriff Gustafson tried to find the murderer. Filming occurred in Greater Sudbury from April to May 2019, lasting for about 26 days.
The Silencing Review: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Leads A Decent Action-Thriller
The Silencing is a decently exhilarating thriller movie, even if the twists in the story aren’t always well-earned or well thought out.
Ramsey Lake, Canada
Most of the specific filming locations for The Silencing are unknown, but the production team reportedly utilized Ramsey Lake in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, for the water scenes in the movie. Ramsey Lake held the record for the world’s largest lake located entirely within the boundaries of a single city until 2001, making it (and Greater Sudbury) a popular destination for film productions. The body of water was mentioned in Heroes, and movies like Silent Hill, Ginger Snaps, and Saw III captured scenes in the city. However, Ramsey Lake plays a significant role in The Silencing.
