It’s called Silent Review, and simply typing it into the TikTok search bar, hashtag included, will bring up a series of muted videos. Or almost muted. The name itself of this trend that has been going viral on the ByteDance social platform for weeks now explains what it’s all about. Silent review involves showcasing and evaluating one or more products of any kind without uttering a word. Songs or other background noises are not allowed, with the exception of the rustling sound of the objects that creators display in their recordings.
@rachelcatherine99 silent reviews on some books I’ve read recently 🤫 ib: @Confessions of a bookseller ✨ #booktok #silentreviews ♬ original sound – Rachel Catherine 📖
@itscassiethorpe A silent review of all my designer mini bags #silentreviews #silentreview #designerbags #bagtok #minibags #luxurybags #designerminibags ♬ original sound – CA$$IE
The expressed evaluations are conveyed through facial expressions taken to the extreme, somewhat like in the game of charades. The difference here is that it’s not objects that need to be “guessed,” but rather the influencer’s opinions. It seems that this new format originated within the realm of #BookTok, dedicated to book reviews, and then spilled over into other categories such as fashion and beauty. Furthermore, since the only audible sounds are those of the displayed objects and the fingers handling them, silent reviews can be considered part of the vast world of ASMR. And when mentioning this latter category, there is no middle ground; there are those who hate it and those who love it.
