Silent Hill is a moody, dark horror film that manages to pack in a few scares, a few laughs, plenty of gore, and an interesting plot. The movie has all the needed ingredients for a solid horror film, but some fans of the genre and the video game that inspired it might feel a little disappointed in the final product.
The film was directed by Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and was written by Roger Avary (who helped with writing chores on Pulp Fiction). Both are confessed video game addicts so adapting the hit Konami video game seemed a perfect match for the two. Now, I will admit that I have never played the Silent Hill games (I believe there have been about five of them released so far), but I still enjoyed the movie. I have read that some fans of the game were disappointed in the film version, and some viewers not familiar with the games were equally unimpressed with the film.
For me, the movie fell somewhere in between. The plot is a little hard to follow at first, and the film does start off a bit slow. About halfway through, the film kicks into overdrive and becomes one rollercoaster ride of a horror movie. At the same time, Gans and Avary keep a grasp on the complex story that helps the film stay above some of the other recent video game to film adaptations – such as the dreadful BloodRayne, Doom, and even the Resident Evil films
Silent Hill follows Rose Da Silva (Radha Mitchell) - a mother who is desperate to solve the mystery that is causing her adopted daughter Sharon to have dangerous sleep walking episodes. When Sharon has her nightmares, she always mentions one place – Silent Hill. After her husband Christopher (Sean Bean) disapproves of her plan to take Sharon to the old town of Silent Hill, Rose hits the road without him.
It isn’t long until Rose finds the way to Silent Hill. Her plans are changed after a high speed chase with a local cop sends her crashing off the road. She wakes up to find her daughter missing, and the nightmarish town of Silent Hill laid out in front of her.
Silent Hill is not your normal town
Frantic to find her daughter, Rose begins to search through the “abandoned” city and soon finds that things are not normal in this sleepy little town. Rose’s quest to find Sharon is aided by Cybil Bennett (Laurie Holden) – the cop who chased Rose into Silent Hill and is now equally trapped in the dreary town.
Together, the two explore old abandoned schools, hotels, and factories. Along the way they have to deal with freaky looking zombish creatures, a creature with a huge mask and sword, and finally a bunch of townspeople that have formed a bizarre cult in the local church. As they explore Silent Hill, the two women also start to piece together the story behind the bizarre town, and the powerful force that seems to be controlling the horrors that surround Silent Hill.
While Rose searches for Sharon, Christopher joins the local police in searching for his wife and the police officer that disappeared after pursuing her. They too search around Silent Hill, but their town doesn’t look quite the same as the town that has trapped Rose and Cybil. As Christopher searches for his wife and daughter, the film begins to alternate between realities - making it almost two stories.
Rose and Sharon are in a straightforward horror hell, and Christopher’s story lends more to a mystery thriller. Once you are able to figure out what is going on, the combination works very well, and helps elevate the movie above some of the other video game adaptations that have made it to the big screen.
Silent Hill has a lot going for it that will keep you wanting to watch the film and see where it is headed. The performances from its actors are solid (though Alice Krige and Deborah Kara Unger get a bit campy from time to time), and the film’s pacing works well. The pace is never too slow, but Gans makes sure the picture is not just a “splatterfest” horror movie.
Some aspects of the movie are plain creepy
The film’s special effects, production design, lighting and colors are all great and really work together to add an overall gloomy feeling. Ash is constantly raining down on Rose, and some of the creatures are extremely creepy. As the film continues, the gore factor increases. This slow build in effects really helps keep you locked into what is happening despite some of the weaker moments of the script.
With that said, the movie does have some major faults that might lose its audience before it has a chance to really get going. If you are not already familiar with the story, Silent Hill might seem a bit too confusing to follow at first. The film requires some thought and attention from the audience, and viewers wanting something that has nothing but blood and guts may find themselves lost quickly. Some of the film’s characters are not developed enough, and Krige’s bizarre character at times makes the film drift towards comedy.
Some viewers may also feel a bit disappointed in how the film ends, and the rapid rush towards the final climax in Silent Hill. Gans does seem to lose a bit of focus as the movie reaches its boiling point, but I thought the overall package was much better than I expected.
The DVD comes with a six part “behind the scenes” featurette which takes you into pretty much every aspect of the film. Topics covered include the movie’s origins, casting, set design, stars and stunts, and the film’s creatures. Throughout the different segments there are interviews with the film’s cast, director, and other people involved in the project. Fans of the game and movie will enjoy these features, but they are all a bit standard for this kind of DVD release.
Overall, I enjoyed Silent Hill, and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in taking a chance on it. Diehard game fans may be a little disappointed in the end result, but horror fans might find themselves pleased.
The film is not just a "splatterfest"
The film has some problems, but Silent Hill is probably one of the better video game adaptations lately. Silent Hill does have some good performances from its cast, a unique look to it, and an interesting plot that manages to be a bit creepy from time to time.
Silent Hill is now available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a September 4th release. Visit the DVD database for more information. Silent Hill is also available in the Blu-Ray format at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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