Review of Hush (2016) by Compi24 — 05 Aug 2019

The rise of Mike Flanagan continues with "Hush," a simple, yet satisfying horror thriller in the vein of "Wait Until Dark" and "Don't Breathe." It's not even enough to say that this is a solid story told competently by a director who doesn't get in the way of it.

Because Flanagan does. And for the better. In most cases like this, I'd say it would be better for a director to just play it safe and let the simplicity of the story in question shine instead of atypical directorial choices.

But Flanagan really knows what he's doing. Using clever sound design, interesting visual cues, and thought-provoking framing devices, Flanagan wants us to see this story for what it really is -- not just a story of survival, but an examination of sensory perception and vocal expression as a whole, and how a lack of either ability can change, alienate, or otherwise empower a person in certain circumstances.

Beyond this, the movie is also quite fun in all the ways that horror movies should be, always allowing the audience to savor the tension, nod along with the intelligent moves on the part of the protagonist, and reel back in their seat whenever something big happens.

This was a solid entry on the part of Flanagan and Co. and I can't wait to see what else his budding career will have in store for us.