Shadows are the quiet baddies in a movie – they’re the ones that scream when the dialogue’s too soft. A good film lines them up like a bad guy’s silhouette at a neon bar: big, sharp, making the audience feel the weight of the scene without a single line. It’s the same trick you use on a city street – you don’t need to shout to get a point across. Just let the darkness do the talking.

Silence’s got a sharper edge, so keep that in your back pocket.