Creepy...

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2006)

I had the sense while viewing Silent Hill that the makers of this film were aiming for box office business that the Ring and the Grudge conjured up.
Silent Hill reminded me a lot of the Ring: both are heavy on psychic elements; contain young, malignant evildoers; and rely heavily on creepy atmosphere, instead of outright gore.
Although Silent Hill is a bit more creepier and intense than the Ring, the storyline is not as immersive: the characters are given short shrift, while the creepy backdrop is given substantial more detail. The film felt more like an interactive video game, like the one which it was based, than a narrative film with solid story construction.
I did like many parts of the film, though. There are imageries in the film that clearly stand out: the creatures are imaginatively rendered and are truly grotesque. Also the mood and the atmosphere of the film were dreadful and gloomy throughout, clearly appropriate for the film of this kind.
I give Silent Hill a solid 7.