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It's no secret: Silent Hill is my most watched movie of all time. I must've seen it over 20 times and each time I love it more & more. Granted, it's nothing in front of the horror classics, as most of the 21st Century horror movies are, but it's certainly one of the best released in the 2000's. I haven't played any game so I cannot deny or confirm how much true did it stay to the storyline or the mood. When I first heard of this film I thought it would be a psychological film with aliens from outer space. At least I was right about the first part. Sorry to disappoint you but there no aliens but rather demonic personifications of the disturbed mind (thats how it is, right?) and a great creepy theme to go with it. The opening of the theme song is like as if a huge monster is shuffling towards you and the atmosphere is akin to an empty school with flickering lights. Absolutely LOVED it!
On the surface, it seems sweet and luring but underneath a monster resides, a monster so grippingly arresting that it refuses to let you go - I'm describing the film, mind you, not quoting a book or a poem. The cinematography is good and I kinda lied earlier - I've indeed played the original game but only the starting 7-8 minutes and that too barely. The scene where Rose (the protagonist) is going through the dark alley with just a lighter for a source does great justice to the game (if just that scene) and I liked it. I guess I kinda like fixed camera shots. One thing I like is that it doesn't have too many of those shadow shots or sudden camera scenes where a shadow of someone, or something, quickly moves in front of the camera. It did have but not too many and that would've messed it up. I liked the school interior scenes as they were truly creepy but nothing can beat the hospital underground scene with the twitchy nurses (who else thought they were sexy?) I mean, come on, that moment was intense and scary. It was quite funny but since that was not what they were aiming for, the other effect came forward: THE HORROR! The flashback sequence that follows immediately after was a little too fast but it was like the ending of Limbo, a recently published game. It was rather peaceful and dreamy, something like a big devil spirit has been lifted, something like that.
Let's go to the performances (the one reason why I write reviews LOL!) The film has a great cast of under-rated actors / actresses. All of these are brilliant actors and this film is one of the better reasons why. We have Radha Mitchell in the lead as Rose, one of her best performances to date and subsequetly, one of the best horror performances. She made Rose a likable character. Then we have Kim Coates, Sean Bean, Deborah Kara Unger and Alice Krige in supporting, and important, roles. Now you may have heard them somewhere else but I bet you may have not seen them altogether. Check this film out to believe it for yourself. But of course, I'm still missing one more: Jodelle Ferland as a dual role; Sharon Da Silva and Alessa Gillespie. She has such a great dark personality and looks and a very haunting quality to her appearance. She was like a post-Daviegh Chase and pre-Isabelle Fuhrmann. Arguably one of the greatest child performances of recent times. Another that deserves to be mentioned is Roberto Campanella as Pyramid Head and Colin the Janitor. In both cases he was required to wear heavy prosthetic and makeup and I like actors who manage to steal the show with their sporadic screen appearances as monsters (Doug Jones as The Pale Man, Gunnar Hanson as Leatherface etc...) that it automatically becomes the sole focus of the scene and stays with you for long minutes. A rather great job there.
The ending, I won't go into details, was quite bittersweet but I liked it that it ended that way. Anyway, for fans who have played the game(s) might not like it but those who haven't will find it entertaining and scary at the right moments. For trained eyes, however, it could be a little shallow but who knows...?
7.9/10
