Silent Hill Review

Written by: Alex   

Extremely creepy and surrealistic. Christopher Gans' "Silent Hill" achieves the status of an instant cult classic. It's also the best video game adaptation yet. This isn't that turd of a horror film that "Doom" was. And it's not even the terrible dreck that were the "Resident Evil" movies. This is the real deal. Horror fans should rejoice, especially those fond of foreign splatter flicks. Like in "Superman Returns", you can practically feel the passion of the director for the original source material. And just like "Returns", it's a love-or-hate affair. Fans of SH should delight in the number of passing references to the games. Gans also contributed a nasty piece of original work called the "Janitor" which is a creature that evokes jolts of hair-raising horror during its brief screen time. 

"Silent Hill" may certainly be one of the most artistic efforts of the genre ever. The camera work is simply breathtaking and the production design, costumes and special FX are all top notch for this type of film. The acting from the entire cast hits all the right notes. The film may be slow-paced (too slow for some), but the striking impact of the conclusion (which is perfect) makes the experience worth it. It also carries the weight of a foreign film with its bizarre visuals and overall style (Gans directed "Brotherhood of the Wolf"). You're practially anticipating subtitles to appear when the actors speak. In the end, this is a horror film to be cherished by hardcore fans of the genre. I, for one, was glad to see it on the big screen. Now, if only Gans' can make the sequel!