Sci-Fi Horror Thriller Gives Action Star A Slasher Movie, Stream Without Netflix
With so many action films under his belt, fans of Chuck Norris have overlooked one of his rare forays outside of his usual genre. The 1982 film Silent Rage still packed in plenty of martial arts mastery from the hands and feet of Norris, but rather than set against a backdrop of fighting foreign enemies or organized crime members, his character is pit against a seemingly invincible human killer. It’s a brilliant combination of science fiction and action that’s now available to stream without a subscription to Netflix.
Chuck Norris In Silent Rage
Silent Rage opens with a mentally ill man named John Kirby (Brian Libby) on the phone with his psychiatrist, complaining of his worsening condition. After hanging up, John snaps and murders two people in the boarding house he’s staying at, prompting Sheriff Dan Stevens (Chuck Norris) and his deputy Charlie (Stephen Furst) to appear on the scene and subdue and cuff the killer. But a superhuman burst of strength allows John to break through his handcuffs, leading to a scuffle that results in John being shot with a shotgun.
Experimental Medical Intervention, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Silent Rage sees John taken to the institute where his psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Halman (Ron Silver) and geneticists Dr. Phillip Spires (Steven Keats) and Dr. Paul Vaughn (William Finley) try in vain to save him. An experimental drug that Paul and Phillip have concocted is proposed to try to revive John, but Thomas, knowing how mentally unstable John has become, strongly objects. After Thomas leaves, Phillip and Paul inject the drug into John anyway.
John’s Path Of Destruction
The drug in question in Silent Rage enhances cellular regeneration, making the human body rapidly recover from even the most serious of injuries. Additionally, cells are strengthened to the point where the body can achieve almost superhuman abilities. As John awakens, he is fully healed from the shotgun blast that should have killed him, but the side effects have turned him into an unstoppable killing machine.
Of course, Sheriff Dan and John have several physical battles over the course of the rest of Silent Rage with a final showdown ending the film in an intense climax. Prior to that moment, John weaves a path of destruction throughout the small Texas community and manages to dispose of a good number of its townsfolk.
Brian Libby Knew The Assignment
Silent Rage makes great use of Brian Libby, who was a working professional stuntman with minimal acting experience. But the role of John appeared to be written specifically for Libby, as it required a minimal amount of lines and centered almost entirely around his action abilities and a near-constant empty facial expression. The hard-hitting moves of Chuck Norris aside, Libby truly makes Silent Rage equally action-packed and terrifying as he moves from scene to scene as the perfect killing machine.
Streaming Silent Rage On Tubi
GFR SCORE
Silent Rage follows a compelling story line with believable characters set in a totally improbable nightmare of genetic therapy abuse. The action is nearly constant, the terror gripping, and the open ending leaves audiences wishing for a sequel.
You can stream the Chuck Norris classic Silent Rage for free with Tubi.
