Silent Hill

First of all, Carol Spiers deserved an Oscar for her production design. I'm not joking at all. It was so creepy and unsettling. It's worth watching for that alone. Unfortunately the storytelling aspect of it was pretty meh. Not a great script with some pretty lazy dialogue. In spite of that, I really liked this movie... surprisingly.

I don't think that a video game has been adapted in such a manner before. It's as if you're watching the video game in front of your eyes. And although I only have played one Silent Hill, I know that they achieved to transport the game on your screen (theatre) literally!!

But that is also the downfall of the movie (imo). It is very compelling in the beginning, but when it reaches a certain point (let's say the middle of the movie), the scares don't work anymore. The effects still remain great, but I'm just not feeling it. As a game that would work, because you're actively involved, but as a passive viewer, you get bored. So the best adaptation yet, shows us that there is more to the adaptation process, than filming a game ...

I have been a fan of the first game since it came out. As with most video game adaptations, I expected this to be a piece of sh#@. Instead, I got an atmospheric, haunting thriller that slowly creeps into you and doesn't let go.

True, the game was scarier. Way scarier. And there was something appealing about the vagueness of the story - the fact that it was never fully explained. And some parts (especially in the third act) could have been edited down and made more intense. And I wasn't fully convinced by Radha Mitchell's acting. But seriously, folks, this goes above and beyond your standard fare horror flick.

Speaking visually, the film is breath-taking. Some of the best conceptual designs I've ever seen. The creature's design and effects are top notch. Pay attention to one very creepy scene that revolves around a flash-light. It is brilliant.

The score is perfect. Disturbing and melancholy at the same time, just like the themes the movie explores. It has depth and its meanings are relevant to our current existence.

One thing I wanted to see used more was the radio static that signifies when a monster is approaching. That was to me one of the scariest elements of the game, since you knew the monster is close, and yet you couldn't see it. Also, with such a tightly woven, dense atmosphere, some boo moments could have been super scary, although the movie doesn't use them. That is a plus and a minus. The result is more sophisticated, refined, working more on psychological horror rather than shock value. On the other hand, on a superficial level, the film is not as scary as it could have been.

To conclude, a very pleasant surprise. Hopefully this is not the last we've seen of Silent Hill.

Although I have never played the actual game I am aware of its story and how this film decided to take another route. It borrows many elements & ideas from not just the first game but it's first couple sequels as well & blends in with the director's own ideas. The end result in my opinion I think works rather well both telling a solid story that doesn't hold your hand while also nailing the look and feel of its source material. I've seen many claim they couldn't understand much of the story but I personally think it explains everything pretty well. There are a couple exposition dumps & maybe at times some of the elements from the video games can feel disjointed but nothing feels out of place or forced in. Especially have to give the director and production crew props for the set design and visual effects that really brings to life the disturbing imagery of the games. There are many effective sequences especially one involving creepy nurses & there's no cheap jump scares to be found.

The only issue for me with the film are the boring and slow paced scenes with the husband character. It feels like they just added these scenes with him cuz the movie didn't have enough males but you could honestly cut all these out and it wouldn't effect the movie any. Other than that Silent Hill was definitely a milestone for video game adaptations especially from around that time. Even today you don't see many get as much effort put into them as this one did.

First off, the downsides: Some parts of the movie seemed a little drawn out, the film was two hours, and at certain times, you could feel that. It's far-fetched, and I can imagine some people rolling their eyes at the storyline, and there WILL be some people walking out saying "that was a stupid movie". (As many people responded to Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.) Of course, some of them will be saying that in response to the sheer amount of gore and violence, which brings me into the 'upsides': This movie certainly had it's 'wow' moments with shock, anticipation, and gore, especially near the climax. Scenes and even alleyways and monsters from the games were almost identical. If you've played the games you will get a lot of deja vu. (For example, the camera goes crooked at exactly the same time and place it does in one of the scenes in the game.) Also, a lot of the sounds and music tracks from the games are used, and so are the monsters. The entire feel of the games is preserved in the film, and you will have trouble keeping your feet on the floor the entire movie. The creepy presentation works, and if you haven't played any of the games, this movie will scare you in new ways.