Finally, a credible video game adaptation.

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2006)

From the moment the lights went down in the cinema, and the now infamous Silent Hill 1 theme song started to play, until the end credits, augmented by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's fine vocals, this move oozed class.
Based on the survival horror series of the same name, the movie draws elements primarily from the first three games, rather sensibly leaving out the slightly disastrous Silent Hill 4. The majority of the plot comes from the first game, and is faithful enough to said game to avoid offending fans, while prudently altering the elements which would not have translated well to the big screen.
The characters and monsters comprise a mix of canon and original, and the original characters fit seamlessly into the Silent Hill universe. Rose De Sylva, a likable woman looking for her lost daughter, is both convincing and sympathetic, and Cybil Bennet, a cop who also appears in the first game, is possibly one of the best examples of a strong female in Hollywood. Rose's husband, Chris, does an excellent supporting job as the worried husband. But the film is really stolen by Sharon, Chris and Rose's adopted daughter, whose pivotal role does an excellent job of holding the plot together.
The scares and gore are there, but much like the games, they are tastefully done, with more emphasis on the psychological, than the outright shocking. There are more than a few moments which will get even hardened horror fans wincing, and definitely more than a few jumps and scares, but the real fear from this film comes from the beautifully sinister plot, which will leave you feeling vaguely uncomfortable long after you have left the cinema.
The movie is packed full of little nods and winks to the games which will no doubt utterly delight fans of the series, but remains a self contained story within itself, which is beautifully told, with all the loose ends tied up nicely. The film makers had the right idea in working so closely with Konami, as the balance between making a faithful adaptation, and making an exciting movie has been perfectly struck, something which is exceptionally rare, if not unprecedented, in the games-to-movies area of the market.
Silent Hill, the movie, is absolutely one of the best intelligent horror films of the year, if not the decade. It is cinematically beautiful, with a gorgeous soundtrack, perfectly implemented special effects, a heartbreakingly beautiful soundtrack, razor sharp dialogue, and a plot which, unlike so many fright-fests, gets inside your head and makes you really think. It is destined to achieve cult status.
This is not just highly recommended. This is mandatory for any horror or video game fan alike.