Review of Silent Hill (2006) by Presley M — 28 Apr 2018

Silent Hill is a visually interesting fan service kind of film. Newcomers should be wary, the plot is very hard to follow and the story the movie opts for is somewhat baffling. Every scene with Sean Bean completely derails the movie and feels like so much filler.

The music is excellent, utilizing pieces from the games that really emphasize the creepy, dread filled tone of the series which pairs well with some cool cinematography. Our lead actress gives a serviceable if not somewhat shallow performance, Walking Dead's Lauren Holden is actually fantastic here, elevating every scene that she is in as the determined and steadfast cop in Cybil Bennett.

The child acting isn't the best one has ever seen but it isn't too distracting. The biggest problem with this film is the story, or lack thereof. Organic storytelling is really lost on this film and most of our knowledge of past and present events is given to us via some very tedious and obvious exposition dumps.

In conclusion, it's okay. The visuals are a lot of fun and those with an itch for gore will find plenty here to salivate over but if one is not already a fan of the series they won't find much to be drawn in by and almost everyone will find the 2006 overabundance of CG effects really distracting.

Fans of the games should see this, even just for a morbid curiosity which they may find themselves pleasantly surprised and those who haven't played the games should look elsewhere for their thrills - or play the games! They're a bit dated in the looks department but their classics and the atmosphere will have one leaping at shadows for weeks! 6/10.