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Movies can certainly have dialogue that sings, and some great movies don't lean on beautiful images, but for the most part, film is an inherently visual medium. Heck, before audiences heard Al Jolson's voice in 1927's The Jazz Singer, movies were largely silent entertainment.
While silent movies are mostly a thing of the past, some filmmakers still recognize the power of spare use of dialogue. The animated film Flow, one of this year's Oscar nominees for Best Animated Picture, stars a cast of animals who are truly animal—they don't speak at all—and that's not the only recent example. Here are 12 modern movies with no (or very little) spoken dialogue.
Robot Dreams (2023)
It's hard not to compare this animated Spanish-French co-production to the recently released Dog Man: While their animation styles and intended audiences differ, both feature furry protagonists who remain silent throughout. However, Dog Man compensates for its titular character’s silence with a constant barrage of jokes from other characters (and exaggerated screaming from Dog Man). Robot Dreams uses its lack of dialogue to focus on the small, human details. Or humanlike dog details, I suppose. You can watch Robot Dreams on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.
Playtime (1967)
Jacques Tati transports his signature character Monsieur Hulot, played by the French director himself, into a 1960s vision of a modern, detached Paris, an environment that simultaneously delights and confuses the good-natured man. Like in the Chaplin films Tati mines for inspiration, Hulot's humorous interactions with the enormous, stylish set do all the talking, depicting a then-futuristic society that now feels familiar. Playtime was misunderstood when it was initially released, and it bankrupted the filmmaker. Time has finally caught up with its innovative point of view about the dehumanizing effects of modernization. It is now regarded as a classic. Watch Playtime on The Criterion Channel and Kanopy, or rent it on Prime Video.
Mad God (2021)
You may not recognize the name Phil Tippett, but you are almost certainly familiar with his work as the designer of stunning stop-motion and computer-animated creatures for Star Wars and Jurassic Park. It took Tippett three decades to complete his masterpiece about a gas-mask-clad assassin venturing through a hell filled with monsters and beasts. The result is pure, silent nightmare fuel that words can't begin to describe. Watch Mad God on Shudder or rent it on Prime Video.
Under the Skin (2013)
It's difficult to understand what any of the victims are saying as alien Scarlett Johansson draws them to their deaths in this minimal sci-fi masterpiece: Their thick Scottish accents obscure any words they utter before meeting their untimely ends. This film by Jonathan Glazer isn't about what the characters say, but how it feels to be human, contrasted with a cruel, seemingly unfeeling alien nature. Sure, there is a story here, but the movie is more of a vibe. Rent Under the Skin on Prime Video.
Quest for Fire (1981)
The trio of cavemen at the center of this epic prehistoric fantasy—directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, the genius behind the largely silent nature film The Bear—talk to each other in grunts, groans, and a language develop
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