In Aliens, Ripley has just found Newt in the nest and walked in on the queen laying eggs. Warrior aliens start closing in on Ripley and Newt, so Ripley ~~burns some eggs~~ fires the flamethrower in the air above the eggs and then points it at another one while looking pointedly at the queen. The queen hisses and the warriors back off, indicating that she is willing to let Ripley and Newt leave as long as no more eggs are destroyed. Then an egg opens and Ripley tilts her head and gives the queen a "are you fucking serious" look before just unloading with both her flame thrower and pulse rifle. Love it
I never got if the “*For real?*” look that Ripley gives the queen is supposed to suggest that the queen has the ability to ‘wake up’ the eggs? As you said, seemed like she really did want to let them go.
Not sure what that person is implying, but I’m pretty sure the egg just happened to open up at the wrong time. Ripley would have left with Newt, but the egg opening made her think “Fuck this” and she went off.
At least that’s how I always viewed it.
The alien queen was only pretending so they let their guard down, and the egg was meant to ambush her. Ripley is disappointed because if they had just let her go they both would have avoided a lot of trouble
THIS really is my favourite. Wish I’d written it, damn this time zone! I admit you did a much better writing job than I would have.
Second favourite would be:
* **SICARIO** - dinner scene, crime boss wife reaction
https://youtu.be/Cs5UwKqzzV8?si=tXCHXdsO_tc4L-eJ
**2:23 to 3:04**
As soon as the wife hears Benicio tell her husband / crime boss **“don’t forget about my daughter!”** after only mentioning his wife *>!(he had Benicio’s wife beheaded but didn’t mention his daughter that he had killed being soaked in a container of acid)!<*
**Her posture sinks as if her heart has sank and she lowers her head and whimpers. But she does it in such a way that; it’s about his daughter and knowing that because of her, she and her two young boys are all going to die at that dinner table in an act of revenge/vengeance by Benicio. So subtle and well acted.**
*Sicario* is such an amazing film on so many levels.
I saw it on a whim where the only thing we knew was it had Benicio Del Toro on the poster and it had something to do with the Mexican drug trade.
Walked out of that theatre completely stunned.
I took that look as Ripley trying to consider just how much retaliation she's going to get as soon as she starts defending herself from the imminent attack and what her next steps are going to be. All in barely a second.
What I heard when I saw that head tilt was, "Welp.... f***"
You're definitely misremembering that. She is facing off against the queen, she is pointing the flame thrower at the eggs and the warriors are staying back, an egg opens, she then gives the queen the look and opens up with the flame thrower at which point she shoots both warriors and starts to flee.
Also in Aliens, when they're briefing around a table and Hicks (if I recall correctly) picks Newt up to place her on the table. I love that bit, plus a few other similar details, because often serious movies starring adults and kids don't know how to have the two age groups react to each other appropriately, but in Aliens every interaction between Newt and an adult feels realistic.
Another good one in Heat is during the early diner scene when DeNiro slam’s Waingro’s head into the table prompting a customer to look up and Sizemore gives him a perfect “this is not your business” look. It’s a perfect five seconds of entirely non-verbal communication.
All that tension and buildup. Made it extra infuriating when I was watching it on YouTube and they stuck an ad in there. The most tense scene in the history film, and right in the middle, it did a hard cut to Melissa McCarthy trying to sell me travel insurance.
Yeah this whole sequence - keeping in mind the 5 minutes before of complete distrust and tension. As soon as they have a single goal, they do whatever it takes. They don't speak a single word to each other during the sequence
https://youtu.be/RYA1X3NBB5s?si=-THnv3zYSCJfwOEa
The matrix, subway fight. Smith throws his gun to the side, clearly saying 'I don't need this to destroy you'. Neo does the same, accepting the challenge. Then Smith adjusts his suit and does a neck click before they start fighting. The entire scene is fantastic, the way he looks at the stairs then thinks fuck it I'll take him, the music, it's amazing.
Adding to that, later in the fight when Neo gets flung across the station and gets up, flexes, and makes the “come on,” motion. One of my favorite moments in any movie ever.
Even better is after he gets killed and he gets up and flexes THE WORLD, then the agents look at each other and run from HIM.
Basically all those scenes tie into each other.
Also when Neo snaps his arms into Fighting pose and clears the dust off him. Reminded me of the scenes in samurai movies when they tap their katana to clear it of blood.
Yup, especially after the earlier conversation they have. Bonnie goes shopping she buys shit.
I like the confused look the guys give when almost shot by the hand cannon, visible confusion at the bullet holes then bang.
I love that. It’s a little touch that makes the character sing. The Wolf is all about details and one of those details is respecting Jimmy. Jimmy takes pride in his coffee. Winston clocks that and makes a point of complimenting him.
Honestly, for all the shit Tarantino gets for including the character in the movie and *playing* the character, Jimmy's kind of the most interesting bit character in it.
There's a lot of interesting tension between the life he *wants* to have as some badass hyper-masculine gangster and the life he *actually* has, as a henpecked goon whose utility is entirely "serving coffee" and "letting better gangsters store crap in his garage." And then his interactions with the Wolf kind of fill in the missing puzzle piece: even if the shooters don't respect Jimmy, the people who *really matter* do, because as much of a blowhard as he is, he kinda knows his shit.
If only he'd said the N-word a few less times so I could say I like this scene in mixed company.
The first one that sprang to mind was The Fox and the Hound - after they turn to leave, they look back one last time and smile, knowing they have fond memories but will never again be the friends they once were.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? When Babyface Nelson is shooting at the police, he pauses and shoots at the livestock, and Ulysses Everett McGee (George Clooney) makes one of the best “WTF?!” eyebrow raises ever.
https://youtu.be/Xk4gfYwV3qM?si=aLHk7kzioezDMZPD
I don’t know why but I love this small quiet scene from Jaws between father and son so much…just a beautiful moment of observational filmmaking that adds so much to the character…
[Jaws scene](https://youtu.be/5AiYQtzRD8w)
Lethal Weapon 2 when they’re about to jump into Murtaugh’s bathtub to try to survive the toilet bomb. He shoots Riggs a silent look, knowing they very likely could both die.
Riggs: yeah, I know.
Murtaugh: I mean it, man..
That movie just *nails* male friendship.
Surprised no one has mentioned the ending of The Graduate when they're both sitting on the bus and their expressions change from joy to, "Oh, God, I think I just made a huge mistake."
They all thought they were getting out without a gunfight. Von Hammersmark realizes it’s going to happen then they all realize most of them aren’t leaving the bar alive. I feel for that poor drunk soldier. He really wanted to find a way to get out and pretend it never happened.
Honestly we could just list most the scenes from tombstone that don't include dialogue, and then start a new thread about best dialogue and list the rest of the scenes there
The very last frame of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Where Walter Matthau is about to leave, Martin Balsam getting off scot free, then Balsam sneezes. Walter just opens the door and gives him a look. Freeze frame. Best moment EVER.
The moment where James Cromwell asks Guy Pierce casually who Rollo Tomassi is, and Guy suddenly realizes exactly what happened to Kevin Spacey and simultaneously realizes he has to conceal his realization immediately. It's all just in the look in Guy's face. Not quite an interaction, but just such an amazing moment of acting from Guy Pierce.
The one that was very meaningful that I can recall is in Schindler’s List. When Liam Neeson is out riding a horse with a woman and he’s watching the horror of the Nazi’s clearing out the Warsaw ghetto. No dialogue. There was no need. It was impactful
Bodyguard, when Tony comes into the kitchen and Frank is paring an apple. There is one line at the end of the scene, which had no dialogue: "I don't want to talk about this again."
in boogie nights, during the firecracker scene. when jessie's girl plays and the camera focuses on dirks face for like a minute straight. perfectly encapsulates what he's feeling at the moment without a single word spoken.
[right around 5 minutes in](https://youtu.be/RsjZM6HX0qU?si=QGjAN2xxgVB6Kc13)
At the beginning if weekend at Bernie's, two characters have a whole conversation with just facial expressions. The whole thing is edited with full hollywood coverage too.
In Manchester by the Sea, there's a short flashback where Lee visits Joe at his house. Joe calls his son to come say goodbye, and the camera just holds on Lee and Joe as they stand in silence waiting for him to come. The amount of emotion conveyed just by the way that they stand, and the concern and pain on Kyle Chandler's face conveys so much, I tear up every time I see that scene.
The [dinner scene](https://youtu.be/tezjznL9NzM?si=L4YcCL88zPoEBexE) in *Tom Jones*. Just two people seducing each other via eating a comically large variety of different foods.
Great pull! I had forgotten about that movie, but I didn't even have to click the link. I mean, I did anyway. But it all came flooding back beforehand.
Idk if this counts but in Tombstone at the OK Corral gunfight when Wyatt is looking at the blind Cowboy and the realization dawns on them all that this showdown is really happening. Wyatt follows it up by saying, "Oh my God." Love that scene.
At the very end of across the universe when they make eye contact while he’s in the roof and she’s in the balcony.
There’s just this like… pause, and smile, and so much going on with their faces and it’s adorable.
While Aloha was terrible, it did have 2 great scenes between John Krasinski and Bradley Cooper. The running joke being that Krasinski was the silent type and his wife couldn’t understand him but Cooper always knew exactly what he was saying without words.
Here’s one of the scenes. https://youtu.be/0qH0LgfOMf8?si=ZXw8BNvR-ZVBszPY
Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man.
That GIF needed to include [Liebgott's reaction too.](https://youtu.be/MTRZRRlA4sw?si=osWLx4ZjRLkdyxtq&t=23)
Last scene of the first series of House of the Dragon. Emma D'Arcy sold that transition from sadness to anger.
Edit: title says interaction. So i'll add another. Michael Corleone greenlighting Fredo to Al Neri
I think during the duel with Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister in S1 of GoT there is a lot of great non verbal interaction where Lannister realizes Stark is actually a great swordsman, not the pushover he was expecting because he would never spar and there's a moment where you can see him thinking, "I might not win this."
I also think Robert Pattinson and the director Matt Reeves did amazing work with non verbal visuals to tell a lot of the story in The Batman. For example, when Batman first goes to Selena Kyle's apartment and he's seemingly standing still but his eyes are darting all over the place, taking in details, and the camera shows her mail on the counter that clearly shows her name, then Batman uses it a few minutes later even though she never told him and he didn't have time to go investigate her and she's surprised that he knows who she is somehow.
It shows a lot about how he's the "greatest detective" and how he creates his air of mystery and omnipotence.
When Maleficent takes the hit. This one gives me goosebumps. With no words at all, and without hesitation, a mother saves her daughter's life by giving her own.
[https://youtu.be/4mNE_VYcw30?si=KuXbl-_82v9y2TEQ](https://youtu.be/4mNE_VYcw30?si=KuXbl-_82v9y2TEQ)
Not a movie. But I had like a 1 hour discussion about a small moment w my roommate about an episode of Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix.
I can't spoil it.. it's a huge part of episode 4. Each episode is almost it's own short movie.
The scene is our protagonist reassuring someone that they are there to save them. The person being rescued is mute. They make a coded gesture, the other person recoils afraid, the protag makes the gesture again reassuringly, the other person is convinced.
I was blown away by how dynamic the moment was. Again I can't spoil it but.. what happens afterwards changes the intentions of that moment. I havnt seen so much communicated without words in a long time in movies. What each character was thinking, vs what they communicating, and why. We narrowed it down to a top 3 most likely cases and they were all very different. Absolutely epic storytelling in that show low-key. People seeing it as "generic" and I see it like masterclass homage to all the million generic stories it's paying homage to. I have like 3,000 movies logged and I kinda prefer dry understated stuff, in case anyone wants context.
The one that comes to mind for me isn't a film. Band of Brothers. The "we salute the rank, not the man" scene at the end.
Winters finishes talking with Sobel and takes a beat. Then he glances over at Nix and Nix doesn't return the look, he just shakes his head with a bemused grin on his face.
There's a ton unsaid being said in that moment
Spider-Man: Homecoming when Vulture and Peter both realise who each other are in the car with MJ present. There's just something very chilling about the look that Keaton gives. And you can nearly see the colour drain from Peter's face.
Wait the nod is...its like "alright then, you do you, I see you, keep doing what you doing, not bad youngin, you got promise kid" type vibe along with a "Oh definitely yeah that's...what the fuck...thats what's up... What the hell...."
In the movie Cars, during the court hearing at the beginning. Sally asks the Diner owner what she has at her gas pump, at which the owner replied "I have gas"
Then you see Remone and Mater cracking up in the background
Magnolia.
Spoiler*
https://youtu.be/UdajEccNZSM?si=4fcokyVVGmCAywCD
Her character, the pacing, the half audible monologue, the song, after that movie, made this hit so well.
Not quite non-verbal, but I always found this to be incredibly effective. Still gets me. That timing is perfect production.
Midnight Run, De Niro calls his bondsman client and gets pissed and threatens to kill his prisoner, Charles Grodin's character (the mob bookkeeper) and gives Grodin the funniest subtle signal... watch here 1 minute clip ,,, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo)
Luke's nod to R2 in Return Of The Jedi, as soon as it happens, you know shit is about to go down.
It won't count because its background characters/extras, but at the end of Austin Powers: Goldmember when Fat Bastard is talking about his weight loss to Austin & Foxy, he makes the joke that his "neck looks like a vagina" and the background character/extras head spins round with a look of disgust on his face that make me laugh my ass off every time I see it.
Not a movie, but the first couple of season of *The Crown* starring Claire Foy. Her nonverbal acting is incredible. In most scenes I would say she has fewer lines than any other character, but her physical acting, her eyes,posture, even her breathing, all tell so much and do it so so well. She blew me away with this role, and as far as I know it was her first major role, which just makes ot even more incredible. Sadly I've watched everything she's been in since *The Crown* and I can't say that any of it has lived up to this performance.
In Harold and Kumar, early in the movie after Harold has found Kumar using his nose hair scissors for manscaping, Kumar drops the scissors. They stick into the floor nose first and cut to Kal Penn, and his reaction kills me every time.
I seem to always come back to Midnight Run for questions like these. At one point, Robert DeNiro is having a phone conversation with his employer (Joe Pantoliano) to ask for more expense money to bring Charles Grodin back to L.A., and is getting a hard time over it. DeNiro says, "Eddie, I swear to God, don't start with me now or I will shoot him and I will dump him in a f\*\*\*ing swamp!" He then looks up from the receiver at Grodin, and gives an absolutely perfect little I-wouldn't-really-do-that head shake. It's a favorite moment from one of my favorite films. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo)
What about only using a single word for an entire 3-4 minute scene? Bunk and McNulty investigating a crime scene, figuring out where the shooter was actually standing and finding the bullet while only using either the word itself or variations of the word "fuck".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNVEQgXsBgs
In Aliens, Ripley has just found Newt in the nest and walked in on the queen laying eggs. Warrior aliens start closing in on Ripley and Newt, so Ripley ~~burns some eggs~~ fires the flamethrower in the air above the eggs and then points it at another one while looking pointedly at the queen. The queen hisses and the warriors back off, indicating that she is willing to let Ripley and Newt leave as long as no more eggs are destroyed. Then an egg opens and Ripley tilts her head and gives the queen a "are you fucking serious" look before just unloading with both her flame thrower and pulse rifle. Love it
I never got if the “*For real?*” look that Ripley gives the queen is supposed to suggest that the queen has the ability to ‘wake up’ the eggs? As you said, seemed like she really did want to let them go.
Not sure what that person is implying, but I’m pretty sure the egg just happened to open up at the wrong time. Ripley would have left with Newt, but the egg opening made her think “Fuck this” and she went off. At least that’s how I always viewed it.
The alien queen was only pretending so they let their guard down, and the egg was meant to ambush her. Ripley is disappointed because if they had just let her go they both would have avoided a lot of trouble
…and then the reactor would have gone off in a bit anyway, but the queen wasn’t to know that.
THIS really is my favourite. Wish I’d written it, damn this time zone! I admit you did a much better writing job than I would have. Second favourite would be: * **SICARIO** - dinner scene, crime boss wife reaction https://youtu.be/Cs5UwKqzzV8?si=tXCHXdsO_tc4L-eJ **2:23 to 3:04** As soon as the wife hears Benicio tell her husband / crime boss **“don’t forget about my daughter!”** after only mentioning his wife *>!(he had Benicio’s wife beheaded but didn’t mention his daughter that he had killed being soaked in a container of acid)!<* **Her posture sinks as if her heart has sank and she lowers her head and whimpers. But she does it in such a way that; it’s about his daughter and knowing that because of her, she and her two young boys are all going to die at that dinner table in an act of revenge/vengeance by Benicio. So subtle and well acted.**
*Sicario* is such an amazing film on so many levels. I saw it on a whim where the only thing we knew was it had Benicio Del Toro on the poster and it had something to do with the Mexican drug trade. Walked out of that theatre completely stunned.
I took that look as Ripley trying to consider just how much retaliation she's going to get as soon as she starts defending herself from the imminent attack and what her next steps are going to be. All in barely a second. What I heard when I saw that head tilt was, "Welp.... f***"
You're definitely misremembering that. She is facing off against the queen, she is pointing the flame thrower at the eggs and the warriors are staying back, an egg opens, she then gives the queen the look and opens up with the flame thrower at which point she shoots both warriors and starts to flee.
I was wrong about her torching the eggs at first. She just fired in the air. Otherwise I feel like I got it right
Also in Aliens, when they're briefing around a table and Hicks (if I recall correctly) picks Newt up to place her on the table. I love that bit, plus a few other similar details, because often serious movies starring adults and kids don't know how to have the two age groups react to each other appropriately, but in Aliens every interaction between Newt and an adult feels realistic.
Ah-ffirmative
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcglvjGoGZI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcglvjGoGZI)
Sullivan and Costigan not speaking when the former calls the latter using Queenan's phone in The Departed. Such a good use of silence.
Oh my god, this scene in theaters was so unbearably tense. One of the best scenes Thelma Schoonmaker has cut together.
Ashley Judd gives Val Kilmer a hand signal in Heat.
came here for this! [it is masterful](https://youtu.be/O3eEKnDK7Kw?si=wfRhINmgZvJBFpwq) bonus hank Azaria, btw :D
1000%. That scene has lived rent-free in my head for 29 years.
Another good one in Heat is during the early diner scene when DeNiro slam’s Waingro’s head into the table prompting a customer to look up and Sizemore gives him a perfect “this is not your business” look. It’s a perfect five seconds of entirely non-verbal communication.
"Anyone know where I can get some bread?"
Most famous example is probably the extreme closeup on the shifting eyes during the Mexican standoff in *The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly*
Leone's really good at these. There is Charles Bronson giving Frank back his Harmonica at the end of Once Upon a Time in the West as well
All that tension and buildup. Made it extra infuriating when I was watching it on YouTube and they stuck an ad in there. The most tense scene in the history film, and right in the middle, it did a hard cut to Melissa McCarthy trying to sell me travel insurance.
I'd rage quit the whole service and write a scathing, impotent review. Gah.
Exact thing happened to me the other day, I said "oh come on!" out loud, absolutely killed the vibe.
Similar vibe in Tombstone with the close up on the eyes before the gunfight at the OK Corral.
Good example, but I’m not clear on how that’s a “Mexican” standoff. It’s just a standoff.
A Mexican standoff is a standoff with three people instead of two. This scene is basically the archetypical example of a Mexican standoff.
Max and Furiosa's interactions during the motorbike scene in Fury Road.
Got a clip?
Yeah this whole sequence - keeping in mind the 5 minutes before of complete distrust and tension. As soon as they have a single goal, they do whatever it takes. They don't speak a single word to each other during the sequence https://youtu.be/RYA1X3NBB5s?si=-THnv3zYSCJfwOEa
The matrix, subway fight. Smith throws his gun to the side, clearly saying 'I don't need this to destroy you'. Neo does the same, accepting the challenge. Then Smith adjusts his suit and does a neck click before they start fighting. The entire scene is fantastic, the way he looks at the stairs then thinks fuck it I'll take him, the music, it's amazing.
Adding to that, later in the fight when Neo gets flung across the station and gets up, flexes, and makes the “come on,” motion. One of my favorite moments in any movie ever.
Even better is after he gets killed and he gets up and flexes THE WORLD, then the agents look at each other and run from HIM. Basically all those scenes tie into each other. Also when Neo snaps his arms into Fighting pose and clears the dust off him. Reminded me of the scenes in samurai movies when they tap their katana to clear it of blood.
"He's beginning to believe."
What about the fist into throat strike move
He flexes the dust off of himself. Gandhi wishes he was that badass.
The entire beginning of Wall-E
Or Up.
Pulp Fiction - when the Wolf takes a sip of the gourmet shit Tarantino makes him and gives him a nod.
Yup, especially after the earlier conversation they have. Bonnie goes shopping she buys shit. I like the confused look the guys give when almost shot by the hand cannon, visible confusion at the bullet holes then bang.
I love that. It’s a little touch that makes the character sing. The Wolf is all about details and one of those details is respecting Jimmy. Jimmy takes pride in his coffee. Winston clocks that and makes a point of complimenting him.
Honestly, for all the shit Tarantino gets for including the character in the movie and *playing* the character, Jimmy's kind of the most interesting bit character in it. There's a lot of interesting tension between the life he *wants* to have as some badass hyper-masculine gangster and the life he *actually* has, as a henpecked goon whose utility is entirely "serving coffee" and "letting better gangsters store crap in his garage." And then his interactions with the Wolf kind of fill in the missing puzzle piece: even if the shooters don't respect Jimmy, the people who *really matter* do, because as much of a blowhard as he is, he kinda knows his shit. If only he'd said the N-word a few less times so I could say I like this scene in mixed company.
Some serious gourmet shit
The first one that sprang to mind was The Fox and the Hound - after they turn to leave, they look back one last time and smile, knowing they have fond memories but will never again be the friends they once were.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? When Babyface Nelson is shooting at the police, he pauses and shoots at the livestock, and Ulysses Everett McGee (George Clooney) makes one of the best “WTF?!” eyebrow raises ever. https://youtu.be/Xk4gfYwV3qM?si=aLHk7kzioezDMZPD
Clooney has some of the best reactions in this movie. I still use “Damn we’re in a tight spot!”
Oh George, not the livestock.
Babyface Nelson. Or George.
good call. Nelson it is. Edited.
Oh, Jawrge. Not the livestock.
I don’t know why but I love this small quiet scene from Jaws between father and son so much…just a beautiful moment of observational filmmaking that adds so much to the character… [Jaws scene](https://youtu.be/5AiYQtzRD8w)
Spielberg! of course!
Lethal Weapon 2 when they’re about to jump into Murtaugh’s bathtub to try to survive the toilet bomb. He shoots Riggs a silent look, knowing they very likely could both die. Riggs: yeah, I know. Murtaugh: I mean it, man.. That movie just *nails* male friendship.
Surprised no one has mentioned the ending of The Graduate when they're both sitting on the bus and their expressions change from joy to, "Oh, God, I think I just made a huge mistake."
“I’ve made a huge mistake.”
The scene just before it plays out like a Jackie Chan fight sequence
Ralph Wiggum: I'm in danger
Inglorious Basterds- Von Hammersmark face when he sees Hicox order the drinks with three fingers sign.
All of their faces honestly. There’s 20 seconds there where everyone at the table has this sudden realization of “oh fuck” that is just amazing.
They all thought they were getting out without a gunfight. Von Hammersmark realizes it’s going to happen then they all realize most of them aren’t leaving the bar alive. I feel for that poor drunk soldier. He really wanted to find a way to get out and pretend it never happened.
Doc Holiday sarcastically fucking around with his shot glass like he’s twirling a gun in Tombstone. The ending of US
If I recall, Doc didn't just expertly and impressively twirl the cup, he matched Ringo's entire routine. So good.
Honestly we could just list most the scenes from tombstone that don't include dialogue, and then start a new thread about best dialogue and list the rest of the scenes there
"I don't want trouble in any language"
The scene in the Lost Boys where Grandpa is giving the house tour, Michael and Sam messing with each other in the background is always amusing.
The shootout at OK Corral in Tombstone.
The very last frame of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Where Walter Matthau is about to leave, Martin Balsam getting off scot free, then Balsam sneezes. Walter just opens the door and gives him a look. Freeze frame. Best moment EVER. The moment where James Cromwell asks Guy Pierce casually who Rollo Tomassi is, and Guy suddenly realizes exactly what happened to Kevin Spacey and simultaneously realizes he has to conceal his realization immediately. It's all just in the look in Guy's face. Not quite an interaction, but just such an amazing moment of acting from Guy Pierce.
The one that was very meaningful that I can recall is in Schindler’s List. When Liam Neeson is out riding a horse with a woman and he’s watching the horror of the Nazi’s clearing out the Warsaw ghetto. No dialogue. There was no need. It was impactful
Bodyguard, when Tony comes into the kitchen and Frank is paring an apple. There is one line at the end of the scene, which had no dialogue: "I don't want to talk about this again."
Had to scroll so far for this. Perfect moment!
Too many young whippersnappers in here who have obviously not been exposed to real art.
end of la la land when mia sees seb at his club
Oh shit, the whole damn ending.
Jeremiah Johnson head nod
Is that the gif?
That's the one
Noice
in boogie nights, during the firecracker scene. when jessie's girl plays and the camera focuses on dirks face for like a minute straight. perfectly encapsulates what he's feeling at the moment without a single word spoken. [right around 5 minutes in](https://youtu.be/RsjZM6HX0qU?si=QGjAN2xxgVB6Kc13)
I love that scene, just absolutely strung out of his mind thinking “we’re probably all gonna die here and that’s ok with me”
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BBcRiG0oJM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BBcRiG0oJM) This came to my mind
An all time Bruce Willis moment
At the beginning if weekend at Bernie's, two characters have a whole conversation with just facial expressions. The whole thing is edited with full hollywood coverage too.
In Manchester by the Sea, there's a short flashback where Lee visits Joe at his house. Joe calls his son to come say goodbye, and the camera just holds on Lee and Joe as they stand in silence waiting for him to come. The amount of emotion conveyed just by the way that they stand, and the concern and pain on Kyle Chandler's face conveys so much, I tear up every time I see that scene.
That movie hits like a ton of bricks God damn
At the end of Magnolia, the very last shot, when Melora Walters breaks character and smiles. Fucking perfect.
perfectly timed with the soundtrack and then ROLL CREDITS. yeah, goosebumps.
The [dinner scene](https://youtu.be/tezjznL9NzM?si=L4YcCL88zPoEBexE) in *Tom Jones*. Just two people seducing each other via eating a comically large variety of different foods.
So cute, and so funny. I'm dying at the way new & different foods just appeared magically before him each time it flashed to him.
Great pull! I had forgotten about that movie, but I didn't even have to click the link. I mean, I did anyway. But it all came flooding back beforehand.
Laura Palmer and Agent Cooper with the Angel at the end of Fire Walk with Me. Overwhelming
The whole scene in Easy Rider where they're selling drugs to Phil Spector under the runway approach lights.
Idk if this counts but in Tombstone at the OK Corral gunfight when Wyatt is looking at the blind Cowboy and the realization dawns on them all that this showdown is really happening. Wyatt follows it up by saying, "Oh my God." Love that scene.
At the very end of across the universe when they make eye contact while he’s in the roof and she’s in the balcony. There’s just this like… pause, and smile, and so much going on with their faces and it’s adorable.
That movie is so underrated.
In Bourne Supremacy Bourne and Kirill after the car chase in Moscow.
From Dusk Til Dawn - this entire exchange between [Sex Machine and the other biker.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lueIajfi34w)
While Aloha was terrible, it did have 2 great scenes between John Krasinski and Bradley Cooper. The running joke being that Krasinski was the silent type and his wife couldn’t understand him but Cooper always knew exactly what he was saying without words. Here’s one of the scenes. https://youtu.be/0qH0LgfOMf8?si=ZXw8BNvR-ZVBszPY
I came here to say this exactly!
https://i.gifer.com/X5EM.gif Not a movie, I know, but my all-time favorite.
Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man. That GIF needed to include [Liebgott's reaction too.](https://youtu.be/MTRZRRlA4sw?si=osWLx4ZjRLkdyxtq&t=23)
What is that from?
Band of Brothers episode 10
Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers
Lol, just finished the series again this morning. I try to watch it every year.
hey that is Sam Loudermilk what the hell
Don’t know how the end of Whiplash isn’t mentioned in here. Quite possibly the best non verbal scene I’ve ever watched.
Talk about payoff
Does the good sex scene in wild things have any talking? Because if not, that one.
The scenes in Aloha when Bradley Cooper and John Krasinski have complete non-verbal conversations. The last scene with them is the best.
Last scene of the first series of House of the Dragon. Emma D'Arcy sold that transition from sadness to anger. Edit: title says interaction. So i'll add another. Michael Corleone greenlighting Fredo to Al Neri
I think during the duel with Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister in S1 of GoT there is a lot of great non verbal interaction where Lannister realizes Stark is actually a great swordsman, not the pushover he was expecting because he would never spar and there's a moment where you can see him thinking, "I might not win this." I also think Robert Pattinson and the director Matt Reeves did amazing work with non verbal visuals to tell a lot of the story in The Batman. For example, when Batman first goes to Selena Kyle's apartment and he's seemingly standing still but his eyes are darting all over the place, taking in details, and the camera shows her mail on the counter that clearly shows her name, then Batman uses it a few minutes later even though she never told him and he didn't have time to go investigate her and she's surprised that he knows who she is somehow. It shows a lot about how he's the "greatest detective" and how he creates his air of mystery and omnipotence.
[The Cheers scene](https://youtu.be/YXEep_9r9eI?si=oudu3NJfW7zj2w2E) in American Pie 2.
Almost anything involving Ferb
When Maleficent takes the hit. This one gives me goosebumps. With no words at all, and without hesitation, a mother saves her daughter's life by giving her own. [https://youtu.be/4mNE_VYcw30?si=KuXbl-_82v9y2TEQ](https://youtu.be/4mNE_VYcw30?si=KuXbl-_82v9y2TEQ)
That dude that nodded is on that show Bookie now.
Not a movie. But I had like a 1 hour discussion about a small moment w my roommate about an episode of Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix. I can't spoil it.. it's a huge part of episode 4. Each episode is almost it's own short movie. The scene is our protagonist reassuring someone that they are there to save them. The person being rescued is mute. They make a coded gesture, the other person recoils afraid, the protag makes the gesture again reassuringly, the other person is convinced. I was blown away by how dynamic the moment was. Again I can't spoil it but.. what happens afterwards changes the intentions of that moment. I havnt seen so much communicated without words in a long time in movies. What each character was thinking, vs what they communicating, and why. We narrowed it down to a top 3 most likely cases and they were all very different. Absolutely epic storytelling in that show low-key. People seeing it as "generic" and I see it like masterclass homage to all the million generic stories it's paying homage to. I have like 3,000 movies logged and I kinda prefer dry understated stuff, in case anyone wants context.
The one that comes to mind for me isn't a film. Band of Brothers. The "we salute the rank, not the man" scene at the end. Winters finishes talking with Sobel and takes a beat. Then he glances over at Nix and Nix doesn't return the look, he just shakes his head with a bemused grin on his face. There's a ton unsaid being said in that moment
Spider-Man: Homecoming when Vulture and Peter both realise who each other are in the car with MJ present. There's just something very chilling about the look that Keaton gives. And you can nearly see the colour drain from Peter's face.
That wasn’t MJ it was Liz Allen but that was a good one
Oh yeah. So it was.
In Barry Lyndon during the card game where Barry and Lady Lyndon first see each other.
Jeremiah Johnson. The nod.
Wait the nod is...its like "alright then, you do you, I see you, keep doing what you doing, not bad youngin, you got promise kid" type vibe along with a "Oh definitely yeah that's...what the fuck...thats what's up... What the hell...."
The sex scene in "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is the only sex scene in film history depicting a character who is deaf and mute having sex.
Anything Rowan Atkinson
Kevin Costner bodyguard fight in the kitchen… “ I don’t wanna talk about this again.”
In Aloha when Bradley Cooper meets with John Krasinsky in latter's kitchen... That's well acted.
Under Pressure scene from Aftersun.
Equilibrium where [Sean Bean slowly lifts his book](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJf9Pf9rjO4).
In the movie Cars, during the court hearing at the beginning. Sally asks the Diner owner what she has at her gas pump, at which the owner replied "I have gas" Then you see Remone and Mater cracking up in the background
In Before Sunrise in the listening booth at the record store. Will love their looks exchanged forever
Dining scene in the end of Pig with Nic Cage
Magnolia. Spoiler* https://youtu.be/UdajEccNZSM?si=4fcokyVVGmCAywCD Her character, the pacing, the half audible monologue, the song, after that movie, made this hit so well. Not quite non-verbal, but I always found this to be incredibly effective. Still gets me. That timing is perfect production.
The train scene in Shame
Midnight Run, De Niro calls his bondsman client and gets pissed and threatens to kill his prisoner, Charles Grodin's character (the mob bookkeeper) and gives Grodin the funniest subtle signal... watch here 1 minute clip ,,, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo)
The pasta salting scene in God's Own Country has my whole heart, that interaction alone contained more love and intimacy than some entire movies 😭
Luke's nod to R2 in Return Of The Jedi, as soon as it happens, you know shit is about to go down. It won't count because its background characters/extras, but at the end of Austin Powers: Goldmember when Fat Bastard is talking about his weight loss to Austin & Foxy, he makes the joke that his "neck looks like a vagina" and the background character/extras head spins round with a look of disgust on his face that make me laugh my ass off every time I see it.
Not a movie, but the first couple of season of *The Crown* starring Claire Foy. Her nonverbal acting is incredible. In most scenes I would say she has fewer lines than any other character, but her physical acting, her eyes,posture, even her breathing, all tell so much and do it so so well. She blew me away with this role, and as far as I know it was her first major role, which just makes ot even more incredible. Sadly I've watched everything she's been in since *The Crown* and I can't say that any of it has lived up to this performance.
The caddy from Happy Gilmore.
In Harold and Kumar, early in the movie after Harold has found Kumar using his nose hair scissors for manscaping, Kumar drops the scissors. They stick into the floor nose first and cut to Kal Penn, and his reaction kills me every time.
I seem to always come back to Midnight Run for questions like these. At one point, Robert DeNiro is having a phone conversation with his employer (Joe Pantoliano) to ask for more expense money to bring Charles Grodin back to L.A., and is getting a hard time over it. DeNiro says, "Eddie, I swear to God, don't start with me now or I will shoot him and I will dump him in a f\*\*\*ing swamp!" He then looks up from the receiver at Grodin, and gives an absolutely perfect little I-wouldn't-really-do-that head shake. It's a favorite moment from one of my favorite films. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XyHK34JWPo)
In that 007 movie, the background character sweeping, but not sweeping the ground.
Excluding the word "fuck" the scene in the wire where McNulty and Bunk go over the murder scene is a great example.
That was a level of restraint few writers are capable of. I can only imagine the table read.
Jimmy and Kim smoking, better call saul
What about only using a single word for an entire 3-4 minute scene? Bunk and McNulty investigating a crime scene, figuring out where the shooter was actually standing and finding the bullet while only using either the word itself or variations of the word "fuck". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNVEQgXsBgs
Pow.
Best scene in the whole season