Movies can certainly have dialogue that sings, and some great movies don’t lean on beautiful images, but for the most part, film is an inherently visual medium. Heck, before audiences heard Al Jolson’s voice in 1927’s The Jazz Singer, movies were largely silent entertainment.
While silent movies are mostly a thing of the past, some filmmakers still recognize the power of spare use of dialogue. The animated film Flow, one of this year’s Oscar nominees for Best Animated Picture, stars a cast of animals who are truly animal—they don’t speak at all—and that’s not the only recent example. Here are 12 modern movies with no (or very little) spoken dialogue.
Robot Dreams (2023)
It’s hard not to compare this animated Spanish-French co-production to the recently released Dog Man: While their animation styles and intended audiences differ, both feature furry protagonists who remain silent throughout. However, Dog Man compensates for its titular character’s silence with a constant barrage of jokes from other characters (and exaggerated screaming from Dog Man). Robot Dreams uses its lack of dialogue to focus on the small, human details. Or humanlike dog details, I suppose. You can watch Robot Dreams on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.
Playtime (1967)
Jacques Tati transports his signature character Monsieur Hulot, played by the French director himself, into a 1960s vision of a modern, detached Paris, an environment that simultaneously delights and confuses the good-natured man. Like in the Chaplin films Tati mines for inspiration, Hulot’s humorous interactions with the enormous, stylish set do all the talking, depicting a then-futuristic society that now feels familiar. Playtime was misunderstood when it was initially released, and it bankrupted the filmmaker. Time has finally caught up with its innovative point of view about the dehumanizing effects of modernization. It is now regarded as a classic. Watch Playtime on The Criterion Channel and Kanopy, or rent it on Prime Video.
Mad God (2021)
You may not recognize the name Phil Tippett, but you are almost certainly familiar with his work as the designer of stunning stop-motion and computer-animated creatures for Star Wars and Jurassic Park. It took Tippett three decades to complete his masterpiece about a gas-mask-clad assassin venturing through a hell filled with monsters and beasts. The result is pure, silent nightmare fuel that words can’t begin to describe. Watch Mad God on Shudder or rent it on Prime Video.
Under the Skin (2013)
It’s difficult to understand what any of the victims are saying as alien Scarlett Johansson draws them to their deaths in this minimal sci-fi masterpiece: Their thick Scottish accents obscure any words they utter before meeting their untimely ends. This film by Jonathan Glazer isn’t about what the characters say, but how it feels to be human, contrasted with a cruel, seemingly unfeeling alien nature. Sure, there is a story here, but the movie is more of a vibe. Rent Under the Skin on Prime Video.
Quest for Fire (1981)
The trio of cavemen at the center of this epic prehistoric fantasy—directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the genius behind the largely silent nature film The Bear—talk to each other in grunts, groans, and a language developed by A Clockwork Orange author Anthony Burgess. Yet there is no misunderstanding about what they are searching for: fire. However, it is difficult to know what portions of the film should be humorous, such as when a sabre-toothed tiger chases our protagonists up a tree. Despite the occasional urge to chuckle, you can’t help but swept up by this story of early man’s desire to advance. You can stream Quest for Fire on Prime Video in a compromised pan and scan transfer, or rent the widescreen version.
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants (2013)
If you’re still deciding between watching Antz and A Bug’s Life, here’s a third option that far surpasses them in both story and visual style. Minuscule is an Oscar-nominated film about a ladybug who helps an army of black ants in their battle with their red counterparts over a tin box of sugar cubes. Without the distraction of dialogue, you can focus on how well the filmmakers’ computer-generated characters mesh with the filmed landscapes. Check it out on Plex and Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.
Walkabout (1971)
There’s some dialogue in this movie, but none of it fully explains why a father drives his two children to the Australian outback before he commits suicide. This harrowing event sets the stage for this story of two children struggling to survive in one of the harshest and most unpredictable regions on Earth. On their journey home, they encounter an Aboriginal teenager on his traditional walkabout. Despite the language barrier between, he helps the more sheltered children endure. Director Nicolas Roeg uses biblical imagery and clever editing to convey how humanity has encroached on the natural world. The result is a mesmerizing triumph. Stream Walkabout on Max and The Criterion Channel, or rent it on Prime Video.
Duel (1971)
The world caught a glimpse of Steven Spielberg’s capabilities behind the camera in his debut, a TV movie about a traveling salesman pursued by a semi-truck driver. According to a behind-the-scenes documentary, Spielberg was only given 75 minutes to tell the story, so he focused on the sound and visuals rather than dialogue to make the truck as menacing as possible. Over 50 years later, it still works. Rent Duel on Prime Video.
A Quiet Place (2018)
It’s easy to imagine a studio executive questioning if it was smart to bankroll a horror movie with almost no dialogue, but a few hundred million dollars in box office and two sequels later, the risky bet seems to have paid off. Though director and star John Krasinski has denied that the film’s silence is a metaphor for a citizen’s involvement in politics (inaction equals complacency), it’s difficult to think about the plot in any other way. Watch A Quiet Place on Paramount+ or rent it on Prime Video.
Silent Night (2023)
Action director John Woo returned to Hollywood after two decades for this action thriller about a father (Joel Kinnaman), unable to speak because he took a bullet in the throat, avenging the death of his son during a gang shooting. It’s a bold experiment that kinda works, despite the melodrama that slows down the first act. When the action intensifies, the sound design immerses you in the visceral impact of bullets, punches, and knife wounds, no talking necessary. Watch it on Starz or rent it on Prime Video.
All Is Lost (2013)
Somehow in 2014, the Academy Awards overlooked Robert Redford’s near-silent performance as a man lost at sea when announcing acting nominations. It’s hard to pinpoint why. Maybe voters felt he coasted on his charisma, or it felt like a retread of previous performances. Perhaps they felt the movie was more of a stunt than a study of a man consumed with overwhelming guilt. No matter what voters thought, this film is still a triumph by a legendary cinematic presence. Watch it on Pluto TV and Plex, or rent it on Prime Video.
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Godfrey Reggio assembled this unusual collage of footage of modern landscapes constrated with the natural world, set to a hypnotizing Phillip Glass score. In a documentary about it’s making, the director said the lack of narration was necessary because, “our language is in a state of vast humiliation. It no longer describes the world in which we live.” Given the film’s exploration of the destructive relationship between technology, civilization, and nature, that explanation seems particularly fitting—and even more accurate four decades later. Watch it on Kanopy or Pluto TV, or rent it on Prime Video.
