{ "id": "epf5nmve7d", "slug": "the-silence-of-the-marsh", "title": "The Silence of the Marsh", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery", "label": "Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films", "label": "2015–2019 films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films.thriller-and-mystery-films", "label": "Thriller and mystery films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films.thriller-and-mystery-films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films.thriller-and-mystery-films.alpha-o-to-z", "label": "Titles O to Z", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films.thriller-and-mystery-films.alpha-o-to-z" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020: 2015–2019 films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery", "label": "Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films", "label": "2015–2019 films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Silence of the Marsh (El silencio del pantano) is a 2019 Spanish psychological thriller directed by Marc Vigil, adapting Juanjo Braulio's novel. Pedro Alonso plays Q, a crime novelist whose murders may be real; released January 2020 in Spain, on Netflix April 2020.", "snippet": "The Silence of the Marsh (El silencio del pantano) is a 2019 Spanish psychological thriller directed by Marc Vigil, adapting Juanjo Braulio's novel. Pedro Alonso plays Q, a crime novelist whose murders may be real; released January 2020 in Spain, on Netflix April 2020.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.crime-thriller-mystery.2015-2019-films.thriller-and-mystery-films.alpha-o-to-z", "markdown": "# The Silence of the Marsh\n\n**The Silence of the Marsh** (Spanish: *El silencio del pantano*) is a 2019 Spanish psychological thriller directed by Marc Vigil, in which a successful crime novelist named Q, played by [Pedro Alonso](https://www.edgepedia.org/pedro-alonso), writes murder stories set in Valencia that turn out not to be as fictitious as they seem.[1](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh) The film adapts the novel of the same title by the journalist Juanjo Braulio, published by Ediciones B, with a screenplay by Carlos de Pando and Sara Antuña.[1](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh) It premiered in Spanish cinemas on 1 January 2020 and reached international audiences through Netflix in April 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) • [3](https://sabanerox.com/2020/04/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | *El silencio del pantano*; English title also rendered as The Swamp's Silence[4](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/GetPdf?Pelicula=175418) |\n| Director / screenplay | Marc Vigil's feature debut; screenplay by Carlos de Pando and Sara Antuña, based on Juanjo Braulio's novel[1](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh) • [5](https://www.escribiendocine.com/noticias/2020/04/24/5253-el-silencio-del-pantano) |\n| Main cast | Pedro Alonso (Q), Nacho Fresneda (Falconetti), Carmina Barrios (La Puri), José Ángel Egido (Carretero)[4](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/GetPdf?Pelicula=175418) |\n| Runtime and genre | 92 minutes; psychological thriller, Spanish production[4](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/GetPdf?Pelicula=175418) |\n| Spanish release | Premiered 1 January 2020; Box Office Mojo records the earliest release as January 3, 2020 (Spain), with a $279,983 gross[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) • [6](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt8743032/) |\n| Streaming | Released on Netflix April 24, 2020; later available on RTVE Play[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_silence_of_the_marsh) • [8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml) |\n| Setting | Contemporary Valencia, filmed at 50 locations over seven weeks, from the Albufera to the Cabanyal[8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and plot\n\nQ is a journalist turned author of [noir fiction](https://www.edgepedia.org/noir-fiction) whose books, always set in his native Valencia, recount bloody murders with such precision that he is hailed as a new [Truman Capote](https://www.edgepedia.org/truman-capote). The problem is that the crimes in his novels are not as fictitious as they seem.[1](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh) While researching corruption for his third book, he kidnaps a former regional government official, Ferran Carretero, a disgraced politician who in the shadows acted as the link between the top of Valencian society and the criminal underworld, and imprisons him in a house in the marsh.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) • [9](https://www.adelaidereview.com.au/arts/cinema/2020/05/16/film-review-silence-of-the-marsh/) The abduction slips out of his control, and every criminal who depended on Carretero wants to know what happened to him.[10](https://thecinemaholic.com/netflix-review-the-silence-of-the-marsh/)\n\nThe film runs a double narrative in parallel: the external plot of the politician's disappearance, and the internal story of Q, a writer capable of horrible crimes moved by creative necessity and, in a disturbed way, by a desire for justice born of hatred for those around him.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) Around them move La Puri, a Romani woman who runs a bar in the Cabanyal while controlling the city's drug trade from her kitchen, and her right-hand man Falconetti, the one character who cannot hide who he is beneath a large scar on his face.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) Q's own past is never explained; the only personal detail given is a brother who has just sold his Ducati motorcycle to him.[11](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/reviews/english/2020/Apr/24/the-silence-of-the-marsh-review-a-tense-but-disappointingly-ambiguous-thriller-18157.html)\n\n## Adaptation of the novel\n\nAlthough the film takes its title and premise from Juanjo Braulio's 2015 novel, the screenplay departs considerably from the original. Vigil explained that the novel contains two stories, two films, and that he wanted to keep the raw material of the story and develop it in another direction.[8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml) What the adaptation preserves is the double narrative already present in the book and its characters with two faces. The director said what interested him was playing with what a writer does, what he writes, and whether what is happening is really reality.[8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml)\n\n## Production and setting\n\nThe film was Marc Vigil's first feature after directing television series including *El ministerio del tiempo*, *Malaka*, *Águila Roja*, and *Vis a vis*.[5](https://www.escribiendocine.com/noticias/2020/04/24/5253-el-silencio-del-pantano) • [2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) It was produced by Zeta Cinema and El Silencio Producciones Cinematográficas, with Iñaki Juaristi and Antonio Asensio as producers and the participation of RTVE.[4](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/GetPdf?Pelicula=175418) • [1](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh)\n\n**Valencia as a backdrop.** Shooting covered seven weeks and 50 locations, including the Palau de la Generalitat, the [City of Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-of-arts-and-sciences), the Formula 1 circuit, the Cabanyal neighborhood, and the Albufera.[8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml) The Albufera serves as the film's central metaphor: an idyllic landscape whose calm surface hides what lies under the water, mirroring characters who conceal their true nature.[8](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml) Vigil described the story as set in present-day Valencia as the broken dishes of a great feast of corruption are being cleared away, and said the film is not about corruption but about power, sustained on greed, ambition, and unscrupulousness.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) He cited the darkest period of [Alfred Hitchcock](https://www.edgepedia.org/alfred-hitchcock), the one beginning with *Psycho*, as an inspiration.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml)\n\n## Release and reception\n\nThe film premiered in Spanish cinemas on 1 January 2020.[2](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml) [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) lists its earliest release as January 3, 2020 in Spain, where it opened with $106,180 and grossed $279,983 in total, all international with no domestic (United States) release recorded.[6](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt8743032/) Netflix released it internationally on April 24, 2020.[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_silence_of_the_marsh)\n\nCritical response was divided. Reviewers generally praised the performances of Pedro Alonso, Nacho Fresneda, and Carmina Barrios; the Spanish review site Áceprensa called the three \"sensational\" and found the suspense well dosed, while EscribiendoCine scored it 7.0 and highlighted its ambiguous microcosm.[12](https://www.aceprensa.com/resenas-cine-series/el-silencio-del-pantano/) • [5](https://www.escribiendocine.com/noticias/2020/04/24/5253-el-silencio-del-pantano) Recurring criticisms targeted the convoluted plot and the abrupt, ambiguous ending. The Adelaide Review gave 5/10, finding the narrative muddled and the character of Q sketchy, and Cinema Express called the finale a gimmick that leaves central questions unresolved.[9](https://www.adelaidereview.com.au/arts/cinema/2020/05/16/film-review-silence-of-the-marsh/) • [11](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/reviews/english/2020/Apr/24/the-silence-of-the-marsh-review-a-tense-but-disappointingly-ambiguous-thriller-18157.html) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 50% audience score with too few ratings for a Tomatometer consensus.[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_silence_of_the_marsh)\n\n## References\n\n1. [The Silence of the Marsh, Zeta Studios](https://zetastudios.com/en/productions/the-silence-of-the-marsh)\n2. [RTVE.es ofrece un clip exclusivo de 'El silencio del pantano', RTVE.es (30 December 2019)](https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20191230/rtvees-os-ofrece-clip-exclusivo-silencio-del-pantano/1994665.shtml)\n3. [The Silence of the Marsh ^ Ending Explained, El Sabanero X (April 2020)](https://sabanerox.com/2020/04/)\n4. [El silencio del pantano, ICAA film catalog sheet](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/GetPdf?Pelicula=175418)\n5. [El silencio del pantano, EscribiendoCine (24 April 2020)](https://www.escribiendocine.com/noticias/2020/04/24/5253-el-silencio-del-pantano)\n6. [The Silence of the Marsh (2019), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt8743032/)\n7. [The Silence of the Marsh, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_silence_of_the_marsh)\n8. ['El silencio del pantano': la increíble transformación de Nacho Fresneda y otras curiosidades, RTVE.es (18 August 2024)](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20240818/silencio-pantano-thriller-donde-ver/16220066.shtml)\n9. [Film Review: The Silence of the Marsh, The Adelaide Review (16 May 2020)](https://www.adelaidereview.com.au/arts/cinema/2020/05/16/film-review-silence-of-the-marsh/)\n10. [Review: The Silence of the Marsh is a Generic Thriller, The Cinemaholic](https://thecinemaholic.com/netflix-review-the-silence-of-the-marsh/)\n11. [The Silence of the Marsh review: A tense but disappointingly ambiguous thriller, Cinema Express (24 April 2020)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/reviews/english/2020/Apr/24/the-silence-of-the-marsh-review-a-tense-but-disappointingly-ambiguous-thriller-18157.html)\n12. [El silencio del pantano. Sinopsis y crítica, Áceprensa (31 December 2019)](https://www.aceprensa.com/resenas-cine-series/el-silencio-del-pantano/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2015–2019 films › Thriller and mystery films › Titles O to Z*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Silence of the Marsh\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Silence of the Marsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Silence of the Marsh\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-silence-of-the-marsh. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Silence of the Marsh is a 2019 Spanish psychological thriller directed by Marc Vigil, adapting Juanjo Braulio's novel." }