This Forgotten Psychological Thriller With Michael Douglas and Brittany Murphy Deserves More Appreciation

When Brittany Murphy lost her life at age 32, the world lost a star who did more than cross genres with her unique talent. As one of the breakout stars of the ‘90s teen comedy Clueless, Murphy spent the prime years of her career holding her own on screen in comedy-dramas opposite such icons as Winona Ryder, Reese Witherspoon, and Drew Barrymore, among others. Her intense dramatic skills were put to the test, however, when she appeared opposite Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas in Don’t Say a Word.

In the 24 years since it hit cinemas, Gary Fleder’s psychological thriller is finally getting newfound recognition on Netflix, not only due to the lack of clever psychological thrillers in today’s movies but also because of Murphy’s haunting performance. Based on the novel by Andrew Klavan, Don’t Say a Word features Ant-Man star Douglas as a shrink who needs Murphy’s psych ward patient to help him save his daughter from thieves. It followed a ‘90s trend of dark urban thrillers involving child endangerment, with films such as Ransom and The Bone Collector frightening parents in the theaters. Though it was a worldwide success, earning $100 million on a $50 million budget, critics largely dismissed Don’t Say a Word for its paint-by-numbers plotting and execution, as it holds a 23% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes. But even in a mixed review by Roger Ebert, the legendary critic singled out Murphy and child actor Sky McCole Bartusiak as the performers who “find their own rhythm and truth in the middle of all that urgency”.

What Is 'Don't Say a Word' About?

In 1991, professional jewel thieves led by Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) raid a New York City deposit box to steal a precious ruby gem worth $10 million. While evading the scene, however, two members of Patrick’s crew steal the jewel behind their leader’s back. Patrick and most of the gang are subsequently arrested and spend the next ten years behind bars.

Fast-forward to 2001, when child psychiatrist Dr. Nathan Conrad (Douglas) realizes on Thanksgiving morning that his daughter Jessie (Bartusiak) has gone missing. But it turns out that a recently released Patrick has Jessie held hostage as part of a complex ransom plot in which Nathan must retrieve an important six-digit number from Elisabeth Burrows (Murphy), the traumatized teenager that he was asked to treat a day earlier. With a 5 pm deadline ordered, Nathan has to unravel Elisabeth’s dark past to get the number before Patrick kills Jessie and Nathan’s bedridden wife, Aggie (Famke Janssen).

Though critics felt Don’t Say a Word tries little new in the way of a kidnapping premise, Fleder’s direction keeps the tension on the street-level with much of the thrills coming out of Douglas’ struggles to connect with Murphy and the endless barriers that Bean lays down in threatening the protagonist’s family. There’s little use for highly advanced tech or flashy action sequences, as the vast majority of the film takes place within the psych ward while intercutting with events in Nathan’s home. The cold blue New York City atmosphere that Fleder depicts sets the tone for a race against the clock tale with Douglas effectively playing a professional who manages to keep his cool under intense pressure to make a mental breakthrough, adding to a push-and-pull dynamic with Murphy that’s far more intriguing than the kidnapping plot and all the obstacles in the way including the immobile Janssen held hostage in their apartment. While it’s easy to guess where the story is going based on the early revelation of the link between Murphy’s Elisabeth and Bean’s crew, it’s the fascination of the characters that makes Don’t Say a Word interesting to watch.

Why Brittany Murphy's Performance Remains Haunting Today

For the central parts of Don’t Say a Word’s ensemble, Douglas retains his likable everyman caught in a bad situation persona from Fatal Attraction and Disclosure. Similarly, Bean sticks to the tried and true formula that has made him a memorable cinematic villain for decades. While those stars deliver what audiences often expect from them, it’s Murphy who adds raw power to Don’t Say a Word. There’s a brilliance to her ability to play a PTSD-ridden young woman stuck in the mindset of a small child traumatized by a horrible moment in her past. Elisabeth is by no means someone with a genius IQ. Her memories are often as fragmented as her physical presence, as well as her unpredictable actions towards Douglas’s Nathan, especially when he almost makes the breakthrough, only for the violent memory to turn Elisabeth from helpless to nearly homicidal.

Few thrillers with the same vein as Don’t Say a Word dealt with mental health challenges with such significance as Murphy brings to it. Her whispering voice, constant childish taunting of Douglas, and eyes that often reflect the past tragedy in her life. Her insecurity and inner torture rise above many of the film’s thriller clichés, whether it’s a close ally of Douglas revealed as a traitor or the thorough detective figure (Jennifer Esposito) in the subplot, filling all the blanks. Most importantly, Murphy’s performance holds real-world weight because Elisabeth’s issues are not magically resolved by the film’s end. But the mental breakthrough is significant enough to lead Elisabeth down a better life outside four brick walls.

Don’t Say a Word foreshadowed both Murphy’s tragic end and the unfulfilled promise of a generational star. The demons that Elisabeth faces due to an upbringing of violence and isolation mirror a special talent praised by her peers, yet overlooked when dealing with a volatile lifestyle away from the cameras. This is a film that leaves anyone with a greater appreciation for a star like Murphy, who was truly taken for granted in the film industry.

Don't Say a Word is streaming on Netflix in the US.

Release Date September 28, 2001

Runtime 113 minutes

Director Gary Fleder

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  Brittany Murphy

  Elisabeth Burrows

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  Skye McCole Bartusiak

  Jessie Conrad