Roush Review: ‘Silence’ Is Golden in a Suspenseful British Thriller

Matt Roush July 23, 2025, 10:00 am

Code of Silence

Matt's Rating:

Silence speaks volumes in Code of Silence, a suspenseful British crime drama with an unusually endearing heroine: Alison Brooks (deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis), a working-class gal plucked from the precinct’s cafeteria to help detectives by lip-reading during their surveillance of a sinister robbery gang. Watching her visualize the words from afar or on a monitor is a fascinating process, and Alison takes to the task with almost too much fervor, ignoring the advice of her cautious handler, DS Ashleigh Francis (You‘s Charlotte Ritchie), who lectures her, “What is exciting isn’t always what’s best for you.”

Alison is used to being underestimated and ignored, declaring to her mother (Fifi Garfield), who’s also deaf, “I’m really fed up of trying to prove myself.” They’re facing eviction by wealthy developers, and frustrated after being canned from a waitress gig, the headstrong Alison defies her new bosses by taking a side job at the pub operated and frequented by the thieves. Despite Francis’s warning — “These people are dangerous, you don’t want to get too close to them” — Alison soon captures the fancy of Liam (Kieron Moore), a soulful hacker who’s helping the crooks plan their next heist.

Their budding relationship is the textbook definition of playing with fire, as Alison risks not only her vulnerable heart but her life, attracting the scrutiny and suspicion of brutal ringleader Braden (Joe Absolom), nicknamed “Hulk” by the surveillance team. Despite the peril, Alison flourishes in this game of deception, convincing her superiors to let her become their informant.

Team leader DI James March (the excellent Andrew Buchan) begs Alison not to put herself in harm’s way: “You can end up with a lot of regrets in this job. I don’t want you to be one of mine.” But naturally, the complications mount, and so does the tension.