Truly the most intelligent horror movie in decades, not to mention the best video game adaptation

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2006)

First, a little background about me: I am an avid player of video games, and I feel utterly insulted with the incredible amount of crap Hollywood spews out supposedly based on a best-selling game. Video game adaptations have gone the gamut from decent(Mortal Kombat) to crap(Resident Evil), to utter and complete sh*t that no human being could ever find the least bit marginally watchable(Alone In the Dark, CURSE YOU, Uwe Boll!!). It is truly insulting to see beloved game franchises(some of which actually include incredibly complex and mature story lines ripe for a movie adaptation) and see them slaughtered for a quick buck. I was scared as hell of watching Silent Hill because I love the franchise so much, and I'd be horrified to see one of my favorite franchises receive the Hollywood treatment.
And then Silent Hill broke the mold by not only being the absolute best video game adaptation ever, but being the most intelligent, mature and SCARY horror movie since the 70s-80s golden age of horror.
Silent Hill is a completely faithful adaptation to the game. Yes, I said COMPLETELY faithful. Some people might argue that story elements have been changed from the game, and that is true, but Silent Hill has NEVER been about storyline: it's always been about mood, atmosphere, and breaking boundaries. And this movie does all three in spades. Yes, the story is not exactly like the game, but everything that makes the game is here and in perfect harmony.
The horror in Silent Hill is not based on cheap scares or a slasher(although Pyramid Head is a baddie that would make Jason Vorhees crap his pants), but is a more psychological type, the type seen in movies like Jacob's Ladder and Session 9. The movie wonderfully builds a sense of dread and doom that makes you uncomfortable in the extreme. With most horror movies, the scares start and end at the movie theater. Silent hill's horror follows you home and makes you think. It is a study in the most primal forms of fear, and the themes of corruption, betrayal and loss of innocence are pervasive throughout the movie. It is full of symbolism that subconsciously touches a nerve. Even scenes of apparent normalcy give you a sense that something is hideously wrong.
Let's talk about the technical stuff. Silent Hill has the ABSOLUTE BEST SOUNDTRACK EVER in horror movie history. Fans of the games will recognize every song, since they've all been lifted from the games, but the way the were integrated with the different scenes in the movie is perfect. And as cool as the music is, the sound effects also complement it masterfully. This is not surprising at all, considering Akira Yamaoka, one of the game's directors and its sound engineer, worked along with Gans in scoring and writing the movie. I truly hope this movie is a breakout film for Yamaoka and he gets more movie work, he deserves it. As for visuals, the movie delivers in spades. The creatures were almost completely done by trained dancers and stuntmen in makeup, giving the movie a truly primal feeling not present amongst the CG-saturated horror movies in recent memory. Where there IS CG, it is integrated and tremendously well done(when Silent Hill switches from fog to darkness the transformation effects are AMAZING).
The story is very complex, and many people will be left scratching their heads at the ending, but this is a GOOD thing. This movie incites discussion, and promotes people having their own theories on the events in the movie. This is a sign of INTELLIGENT film-making, of not wanting to sacrifice vision in favor of pleasing a larger audience. Watching the movie is great. Watching the movie with friends and discussing it afterwards, listening to each other's opinions and theories, is truly an awesome experience.
The cast is uniformly great. Rhada Mitchell is awesome, I hope she gets a bazillion offers after this movie. She is a sympathetic and strong protagonist, and you really live every moment in the movie with her. Laurie Holden is also great, and she's a great counterpart and companion to Mitchell. Jodelle Ferland is a REVELATION. Not since Dakota Fanning have I seen a child actor in such a difficult role, and she delivers immensely. Sean Bean, while having a secondary role, is his always excellent self. The rest of the cast is uniformly great as well, with Alice Krige being deliciously villainous as Christabella and Kim Coates playing a surprisingly great role as a policeman who ignores Silent Hill's supernatural evil, but deep down knows there's something seriously wrong with the town.
Look, bottom line is that this is the best movie of the year so far(I liked it more than my former candidate, V For Vendetta), and any fan of the truly great horror classics owes it to him/herself to see it, not to mention any fan of the games. This movie receives my highest recommendation.