It’s hard to imagine movies without dialogue. Otherwise, we’d get quotes like “Why so serious?” and “Go ahead, make my day!” The more the talking, the higher the chances of a wonderful remark popping up. However, a few suspenseful thrillers managed to fascinate with minimal dialogue. How is this possible? Well, with such kinds of films, every other aspect of filmmaking was enhanced, making the scarcity of conversations almost unnoticeable.

Modern audiences might find it strange whenever characters are economical with words, but in the early 1900s, dialogue-free cinema was considered a high art form. So revered were silent films that when “talkies” (movies with sound) were introduced, many European and Asian filmmakers rebelled, fearing that a focus on audible conversations would stain the unique aesthetic virtues of cinema. Perhaps they were right. The following thrillers prove that the less talk can lead to a better movie. Is it time to engage the reverse gear?

10

‘The Driver’ (1978)

Director Walter Hill doesn’t tell us anyone’s name in The Driver. Everyone’s identified by their profession or defining characteristic. Our antihero (Ryan O’Neal) goes by The Driver. He is a getaway driver who lives by strict professional codes. Thanks to his meticulousness, he has never been caught. Soon, The Detective (Bruce Dern) starts hunting him down, and even though the officer’s presence impinges on The Driver’s secret life, he vows not to quit. Where will it all end for him?

As Slippery as Criminals Get

Uncompromising in its bleak depiction of criminal conduct, this searing, mostly wordless thriller shows how the life of chasing criminals can be just as corrosive as a life of committing crimes. Given its tense, gritty nature, The Driver is not a picturesque film, but the story feels entirely credible and packs a substantial wallop. Most importantly, Bruce Dern is brilliant. In a chat with Empire, Hill says he cast Dern over the studio’s first choice actor, Robert Mitchum, because he needed an actor who had enough charm to compensate for the scarcity of words. Mission achieved.

9

‘The American’ (2010)

To the residents of Castel del Monte, Italy, Jack (George Clooney) is a normal American man. Unknown to them, he is an assassin, privately in the grip of a relentless preoccupation with violence. He is here because he is hiding, but you bet he won’t keep up the ruse for long, especially after befriending a local priest and beginning a relationship with an escort. Will he be forced to flee again? The American will surprise you.

Quiet and Visually Stunning

Castel del Monte, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Sulmona, Östersund, Calascio, and Campo Imperatore are some of the most beautiful places in the world and when you shoot a movie there, you’ll want audiences to mostly soak in the environment rather than listen to people talk. That’s the approach Dutch director Anton Corbijn goes for in this nuanced, perceptive film. Clooney is astonishing in the extremely demanding role, and it’s a shame he wasn’t nominated for a slew of awards. Assuming you’re not put off by an amoral version of Clooney, it’d be a shame to miss it.

8

‘A Man Escaped’ (1956)

Loosely based on the autobiography of André Devigny — a French Resistance fighter who was held by the Germans in Montluc prison during World War II — A Man Escaped follows prisoner Fontaine (François Leterrier) as he plots his escape after being captured by Nazis. For most of the film, we watch him as he crafts tools from ordinary objects and masters the prison’s daily routines.

Patience Pays

One of the finest prison films ever made, Robert Bresson’s A Man Escaped (alternatively known as The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth) benefits from an intelligent, lean script that’s by turns heartbreaking, pulse-pounding, and shocking. Crisp monochrome cinematography by Léonce-Henri Burel also boosts the motion picture’s quality greatly. Extra credit goes to the director for coaxing superb performances from the entire cast.

7

‘Under the Skin’ (2013)

To the naïve Scottish gentlemen in Under the Skin, Scarlett Johansson’s unnamed character is the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen. Unknown to them, she is a predatory extraterrestrial in a human body, who feeds on her suitors by pulling them into a surreal void. As time goes on, she begins developing a conscience. Will she change her ways?

Black Widow Before Black Widow

We love to hear Scarlett Johansson talk, but Under the Skin proves that she is more menacing when silent. Rather than dialogue, the movie makes great use of sound effects and surreal imagery, leaving audiences chilled and intrigued at the same time. In a world where all aliens tend to be given an ugly appearance, it’s great to see one that’s this stunning. Events unfold slowly, but you are unlikely to feel bored. Instead, you’ll grow worried as more and more men fall into the alien’s trap without thinking twice.

6

‘Duel’ (1971)

All seems well in the opening minutes of Duel. A middle-aged electronics salesman, David Mann (Dennis Weaver), is happily driving a Plymouth Valiant through the Mojave Desert on a business trip. Moments later, a rusty Peterbilt 281 tanker truck starts terrorizing him. What’s up with the driver? His motives aren’t clear, and he never stops, resulting in endless, tense road tussles.

An Unseen Villain Who’ll Freak You Out

Sugarland Express comes close, but Duel, which premiered on television as part of the ABC Movie of the Week series, is undoubtedly Steven Spielberg’s simplest movie. But the straightforward plot doesn’t make it less entertaining. Today, it stands tall as a riveting road thriller, dealing with the disturbing, timeless phenomenon of bullying. The main character has less than 20 lines, and the limited dialogue gives the film an edgy, unnerving effect throughout its running time.

5

‘Mute Witness’ (1995)

Mute Witness introduces us to Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina), a mute American special effects makeup artist working on the set of a low-budget horror film in Moscow. One night, she returns to the studio to fetch a piece of equipment only to witness the filming of a snuff movie where the actress ends up getting stabbed to death. Aware of what she has seen, the filmmakers start hunting her down.

Marina Sudina in Peak Form

With minimal dialogue, Marina Sudina’s blank, occasionally lined face gives us an idea of what she feels as the movie addresses the annoying feeling of being at the right place at the wrong time. The villains’ peculiar arrogance and excitement will anger anyone with a conscience, but the bigger concern remains how Billy will get out of this messy situation and ensure the victim gets justice. The great Alec Guinness also has a cameo, and he, interestingly, accepted no payment for his work.

4

‘All Is Lost’ (2013)

All Is Lost stars Robert Redford as a lone sailor who wakes up to find his boat taking in water after it collides with a shipping container. With his radio and navigation equipment no longer working, he tries to be as innovative as possible to ensure he survives. But all that will be difficult, especially when a storm keeps unleashing all its fury.

Soaking in the Harsh Sound of the Seas

Despite having a 105-minute running time, All Is Lost only has 51 spoken English words. Most of these involve the protagonist murmuring and cursing. The film would be nothing without Redford’s incredible performance, as well as the score and sound editing. Each of these departments received nominations at the Oscars and Golden Globes. And kudos to director J. C. Chandor for keeping audiences guessing. So cleverly structured is the movie that it’s almost impossible to bet on whether our sailor will survive or fall into the raging waters.

3

‘Le Samouraï’ (1967)

In Le Samouraï, hitman Jef Costello (Alain Delon) gets spotted by a few people after completing an assignment. Though he manages to evade arrest, the people who hired him betray him, fearing the heat. Angry, he goes after them, while also doing his best to stay away from law enforcement’s radar.

A High Point in French Cinema

The indomitable Alain Delon, one of the greatest French actors to grace the screen, has some great lines in this fleet-footed crime thriller, including the immortal “I never lose…. Never really,” but he is mostly a man of actions, not words. François Périer is also effortlessly charming, playing a cop. But, Nathalie Del scores higher points, surrounded by lust-filled faces and terrific bit characters, swishes through the screen like the flirty-flashy dame she was.

2

‘Drive’ (2011)

Drive stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stuntman and mechanic who doggedly perseveres through all of life’s obstacles and moonlights as a getaway driver. He begins to lose grip on his strict code of conduct when he falls for his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and grows fond of her son. When Irene’s cash-strapped husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), teams up with the driver in a heist whose outcome will have huge implications for everyone.

One of Ryan Gosling’s Best Performances

We know how these kinds of tales normally turn out, so, wisely, the Nicolas Winding Refn film focuses on the humanity aspect of it all, acknowledging the crucial nature of fate and timing for those who’ve surrendered themselves to a life of crime. Piece by piece, we see how the long-overdue meeting between husband and lover evolves, and how cracks form, all with little talking. Gosling and Mulligan share solid chemistry (the former hardly ever speaks more than three words at a time), and Oscar Isaac shines as always.

1

‘Point Blank’ (1967)

Point Blank was the first movie to be filmed at Alcatraz, but it’s no prison story. Based on Donald Westlake’s 1963 crime noir pulp book The Hunter, the crime thriller covers the fallout between two crooks shortly after they rob a courier on the grounds of the now-defunct, infamous prison. One shoots the other, leaving him for dead, but he survives. Angry, he goes after his former partner.

A Visual and Thematic Masterpiece

Lee Marvin is ideally cast as the cool, steely thief who gets betrayed, and John Vermon also registers as the betrayer. Angie Dickinson is also wonderful as the protagonist’s sister-in-law. The dialogue is mostly fragmented and cryptic, forcing audiences to think harder and become more invested. Beyond that, the choice to film many scenes monochromatically helps amplify the melancholic mood. Scorsese named it one of his favorite crime thrillers.

The Golden Age of Hollywood played host to some of the greatest directors in cinematic history. Modern filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan have cited some of these innovative minds as influences on their work, which highlights their lasting impacts on the industry.

When it comes to movies, there’s no overstating the significance of Hollywood’s Golden Age, a term that typically describes a period in cinema that lasted between the late 1920s and the mid-1960s. In addition to the many all-time great films this era produced, they saw the creation of a long list of directing styles and techniques that remain relevant even in 2025.

Back then, filmmakers didn’t have the tools available to them that modern directors have at their disposal today. But a lack of incredible special effects weren’t the only thing that held them back, as the extremely restrictive Hayes Code was also a massive hindrance. But in the face of these things, several directors helped make this period the “golden age” that it was.

William Wyler

In the modern era, William Wyler may not have the same level of name recognition as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, or John Ford, but he was easily one of the most accomplished filmmakers of his time, with many of his films still being household favorites. A testament to his legacy is the fact that he directed a total of 21 Oscar-nominated films.

In 12 of those instances, Wyler himself was nominated for Best Director, winning three times. His wins were for Mrs. Minniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Ben-Hur, a movie fairly regarded as one of the best historical epics of all time.

John Huston

Like William Wyler, John Huston’s career has been littered with accolades. Having directed 18 Oscar-nominated movies between 1941 and 1987, there’s no denying that Huston was one of Hollywood’s most talented directors. That was on full display in 1941 when he helmed The Maltese Falcon, an iconic Humphrey Bogart movie and a key foundation of the film noir genre.

John Huston had tremendous range, and didn’t necessarily excel in any one genre. For instance, he only dabbled briefly in Westerns, with one of the few he made – The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – being a 100% Rotten Tomatoes masterpiece. A third Huston-Bogart collaboration, The African Queen, is one of the best movies of the 1950s.

Cecil B. DeMille

Another director with a particular talent for epics was Cecil B. DeMille, who had a great sense for scale in his directing. DeMille directed epics across many genres (but clearly had a knack for Biblical films), helming celebrated classics such as The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cleopatra, and Samson and Delilah.

In addition to being responsible for some of the greatest Biblical movies of all time, DeMille produced a Best Picture winner when he made The Greatest Show on Earth and even displayed a penchant for romantic comedy when he made the now-beloved Audrey Hepburn-Gregory Peck film, Roman Holliday.

Orson Welles

Orson Welles’ doesn’t have legions of directing credits in the same vein as Hitchcock, DeMille, or Wyler, but even just a handful of his movies are enough to earn him a place in this discussion. After all, Orson Welles directed Citizen Kane, a movie widely regarded as the greatest movie ever made.

Orson Welles was an auteur, whose lighting and other directing techniques used in Citizen Kane were extremely influential on the industry going forward. He also directed a truly great film noir in The Touch of Evil.

Michael Curtiz

Orson Welles’ title as the director of the greatest movie ever isn’t undisputed. The same case has also been made for Michael Curtiz, considering that he was the force behind Casablanca, the World War 2 drama that gave Hollywood one of its greatest love stories. Many of its great moments and lines are owed to the script, of course, but Casablanca likely wouldn’t have been the masterpiece that it was without Curtiz.

Casablanca will always be what Curtiz is best remembered for, but the accomplished director has other great projects under his belt as well, including Captain Blood and The Adventures of The Robin Hood, two Errol Flynn-led films that were crucial to the development of the swashbuckler movie genre.

Frank Capra

Frank Capra has his name stamped on three of the best movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age, not to mention so many other great films. He heralded a spirited performance from James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and directed the actor again in the heartwarming (and equally heartbreaking) Christmas favorite, It’s a Wonderful Life.

He was also behind It Happened One Night, the legendary romantic comedy that paired Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for that movie, and won it for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and You Can’t Take It With You as well.

Howard Hawks

Several of Hollywood’s greatest actors (Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Gary Cooper) owe some of their finest achievements in cinema to their partnerships with Howard Hawks. Hawks famously directed Wayne in Red River, Grant and Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby, Cooper in Sergeant York, and Bogart in To Have and Have Not.

All four of those films are universally accepted as all-time great entries into their respective genres, a notion that perfectly represents the mark Howard Hawks left on Hollywood, making classic after classic, with the 1940s and the 190s boasting his best works.

John Ford

With Westerns being so integral to this period in Hollywood’s history, it’s only appropriate that the director who bears the most responsibility for the genre’s success is counted among the Golden Age’s top directors. John Ford directed numerous legendary and groundbreaking Westerns, from Stagecoach to The Searchers, many of which were with John Wayne as his star.

Of course, John Ford didn’t need to be directing Westerns to make a masterpiece. His 1941 period piece drama, How Green Was My Valley, secured a record-breaking total of ten Oscar nominations, including a Best Director win for Ford. He won Best Director three other times (before and after the film), for The Grapes of Wrath, The Informer, and The Quiet Man.

Alfred Hitchcock

It’s hard to find a classic movie director – or any director for that matter – with as many gems under one genre to his name as Alfred Hitchcock. Appropriately nicknamed “The Master of Suspense,” Hitchcock got his start making British films before transitioning to Hollywood and taking the industry by storm through hits like Notorious and Shadow of a Doubt in the 1940s.

It’s important to note that although he was directing movies as early as the 1920s, arguably his most recognizable film didn’t even come until 1960 when he directed Psycho.

As for why he remained as relevant for as long as he did, this can be attributed largely to the fact that Hitchcock was constantly innovating and experimenting. Being able to keep the audience engaged for two hours without ever leaving one room (Rear Window) or making a movie look like one really long take speaks volumes about Hitchcock’s abilities as a director.