10 Horror Movie Characters Who Don't Say Anything
7. Ruben - Midsommar (2018)
After Dani (Florence Pugh) is left traumatised after losing her family in a tragic event, she’s given the opportunity to travel to the Swedish countryside with her emotionally distant boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his friends to attend a cult's rare midsummer festivities.
Despite the idyllic summer setting in Ari Aster’s phenomenal Midsommar, things take a dark turn when the group discover the violent nature of the cult’s traditions, with hallucinogenic drugs, bizarre mating rituals, and human sacrifice becoming part of their terrifying experience.
During their stay, the visitors likewise encounter Ruben (Levente Puczkó-Smith), the cult’s silent oracle. A severely disabled child who was the product of inbreeding, it’s Ruben’s task to add to the cult’s sacred texts (the Rubi Radr) through drawings which the cult’s elders then interpret. While the film has been criticised for its depictions of disability, Ruben nevertheless holds a key role within Midsommar thematically despite never speaking.
Alongside representing the manipulative and cruel practices of the cult, the character likewise lives up to his status as an oracle as his handful of appearances throughout the film foreshadow violence.
Even without dialogue or much screen time, Ruben is a striking presence within this critical gem.