As a thriller, it's a dead loss, mainly due to a dearth of suspects - this film must have had the lowest extras budget of last year.

Poorly scripted by Akiva Goldsman, this murder mystery (helmed by Bruce Beresford) represents an awkward synthesis of autism and family abuse as social problems, failing to deliver suspense or excitement on any level.

Beresford draws the best from a fine cast. Only when he tries to up the thrill quotient near the end are the contrivances of Akiva Goldsman's debut script revealed, like cracks in the smooth surface of a frozen lake.

As long as it sticks to relationships, Silent Fall is above average. It's only when it tries to become a standard murder mystery that it becomes ordinary.