Silent Hill

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 19, 2006

Release Date: August 22, 2006

Silent Hill, released in 2006 and directed by Christophe Gans, is a creepy little ghost-ish tale. I say “ish” because its hard to get a feel for exactly what Silent Hill is about. Fans and followers of the game may have a better idea, but basically a mother, Rose, takes her daughter, Sharon, to the ghost town of Silent Hill in Virginia to discover the source of her nightmares.

Sean Bean plays Christopher, husband and father, who is searching for his wife and daughter after they go missing. He begins to uncover the secrets of Silent Hill while working around a cryptic police officer who urges him to move on.

Within Silent Hill, Rose searches for Sharon with the help of a hardworking motorcycle cop, Cybil. Together they come across all sorts of weird and creepy things in the darkness. They uncover the workings of a mysterious cult like group of people in the town and come across various types of demons and evils, all with the aim of cutting them to ribbons. The story is complex and kind of hard to follow, but this didn’t stop it from being enjoyable.

As for the DVD itself, it’s well done. The sound design and mixing (I experienced 5.1 surround) was amazing and creepy. One of the most atmospheric movies I’ve experienced in a long time. Water drips and horns groan and steps creak at exactly the right time in exactly the right place. Watch this one in the dark and you’ll wish you hadn’t.

There are some extras on the disk that you may want to play around with, but the real winner here is the film itself. Its beautifully shot and well acted, it’s suspenseful and engaging. It’s only downfall is an elaborate and tricky plot and strange ending that will leave some guessing. Even though I didn’t fully “get” what just happened, I still enjoyed the ride.

Final Grade: B+

The Upside: The film is beautiful and atmospheric and the monsters are creepy as hell.

The Downside: The storyline is hard to follow, although experienced gamers may feel otherwise.

On The Side: Christophe Gans has plans for a sequel, although its currently unknown if a sequel is in the works.

| | Read more articles by Robert Fure