Dir. Christophe Gans | Now Streaming On: Pluto | Rating: 3/5

The Silent Hill franchise by Konami paved the way for the horror video games and the YouTubers that popularized them. It gathered its cult level following in the late 90s alongside other survival horror games on the Playstation, like Castlevania. The original Silent Hill video game has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made and sets the genre expectations for contemporary survival horror games. ⁠
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The rights for the Silent Hill movie’s 2006 release were sought after by multiple production companies and the release was highly anticipated. Though it could’ve been a case of hype hampering a film’s reception, Silent Hill was roasted by critics for its length and ambiguous storyline. Its visuals and soundtrack may have been impressive for its era, but Silent Hill just couldn’t win over casual viewers. ⁠
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Silent Hill is a guilty pleasure movie for me, as I have been a huge fan of the franchise for years. Looking back at my multiple watches of this film, I realized part of my enjoyment comes from my baseline understanding and familiarity of Silent Hill’s lore. By all accounts, this film could be a turn off for a casual viewer. It’s a slow burn that leans on the atmosphere of the environment to sell the elements of fear and discomfort. The characters, monsters, and events of the film are deeply symbolic of larger themes like trauma, violence, and fear. If you don’t come in with any of this to clue you in, the story can feel confusing and obscure. ⁠
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Silent Hill, by nature of its source material, is haunting and atmospheric. The story, which may feel haphazard in this adaptation, is truly sickening to consider actually being a reality. Since I have such a soft spot for this film, I would never tell someone it isn’t worth watching once – but I do accept that this might not be entertaining for everyone. ⁠
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Know Before You Watch: Features blood, death, sexual and religious violence. ⁠

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