Five Women, One Plan, Zero Boundaries

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Quiet Ones
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Genre: Thriller, Comedy, LGBTQIA2S+
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 35m
Director(s): Nicholas Winter
Writer(s): Nicholas Winter
Cast: Kelsey Cooke, Sophie Ablett, Alina Tamara, Isadora Leiva, Alicia Grace Turrell, Sofia Shallai
Where to Watch: available on all major streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime and Apple TV, from August 5, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: If there’s a modern horror equivalent to “never start a band with your friends,” it’s probably “never start a monetized content house with unstable influencers.” THE QUIET ONES takes that premise and runs with it—sprinting into a fever dream of egos, algorithms, and chaos disguised as camaraderie. Written and directed by Nicholas Winter, this indie LGBTQIA2S+ thriller is sharp, mean, sexy, and laced with a streak of irreverent pitch-black humor. It has more style and substance than you would ever expect, in the best way possible.

At its core is Charlotte (Kelsey Cooke), who finds herself drowning in debt after the sudden death of her father. What starts as desperation soon morphs into a hustle as she links up with the cryptic Danni (Sophie Ablett), forming an uneasy alliance to generate paywalled content that walks the razor’s edge between provocative and perilous. Together, they recruit three wildly different social media personalities: a narcissist, a misanthrope, and a straight-up chaos agent. That’s not just a clever setup—it’s the lit fuse that the rest of the film watches burn.

What follows is a blend of satire and psychological tension. Filmed across multiple countries—including Spain, Russia, and Brazil—the locations give the film an international flavor that enhances its disorienting, jet-setting pace. The sleek exteriors and sun-drenched interiors mask the growing rot within the group. As tensions mount, the film pushes past influencer stereotypes and delves into something darker: what happens when public personas overtake private ones, and nobody remembers where the lie begins.

Cooke anchors the story with a grounded performance. Charlotte is equal parts desperate, guilty, and naive—she’s not a mastermind, just someone in over her head. That subtlety becomes crucial as the film escalates. Ablett’s Danni, by contrast, is magnetic and unreadable. She navigates scenes with ease, keeping both her friends and the audience guessing about her true intentions. Their dynamic is the anchor of the film, even when things spiral into full-blown manipulation and paranoia.

Supporting roles from Alina Tamara, Isadora Leiva, Alicia Grace Turrell, and Sofia Shallai are purposefully heightened, bringing a necessary jolt of energy. Each plays to type—at first. But what makes the film work is how those types unravel. This isn’t just a war of aesthetics and brands—it becomes a psychological cage match. Their personas bleed into reality in ways that are hilarious and terrifying.

Winter’s script is laced with satirical jabs but never feels preachy. The film isn’t trying to make a statement about the dangers of social media—it’s showing them, letting the horror emerge from the ridiculousness. Many movies have attempted (and failed) to capture the influencer era in a way that doesn’t feel like a boomer rant about phones. THE QUIET ONES sidesteps that pitfall by rooting its drama in personality, not platform.

There’s also a gonzo energy to the filmmaking itself. The hyperstylized edits and subtle visual effects make this feel like the fever dream of a content editor on the brink. It plays into the instability of the characters, making the visuals a reflection of their fractured minds rather than just window dressing. The DIY indie polish gives the whole film a “built-from-the-ground-up” authenticity, which works in its favor.

The only real downside? The story occasionally sacrifices coherence for the sake of chaos. In a few key moments—particularly in the third act—the tension threatens to give way to its absurdity. Characters make abrupt changes, alliances shift quickly, and the line between intentional satire and logistical confusion gets blurry. But those are forgivable sins in a movie that’s intentionally untethered from the start.

What THE QUIET ONES does best is capture the allure and toxicity of instant fame. It doesn’t take long for followers to become currency, and clout to turn into power. The film plays with that idea like a live wire, zapping its characters—and viewers—every time they get too close to believing they’re in control.

It’s also unapologetically queer, unapologetically female, and unapologetically intense. Winter’s all-women ensemble doesn’t play nice, and the film never tries to moralize their behavior. These characters are allowed to be messy, reckless, ambitious, and ultimately destructive—without being turned into archetypes or lesson plans. That alone makes it worth watching.

If you’re expecting a straightforward thriller, you’ll be thrown off. But if you’re ready for something offbeat, ferocious, and wildly entertaining in its unpredictability, THE QUIET ONES is ready to start the stream. Just don’t forget to hit record—you won’t believe what happens next.

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[photo courtesy of PORCELAIN FILM, SAVANT ARTISTS, ENTERTAINMENT SQUAD]

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