beautiful to look at

Rating: 7/10 (5 September 2006)

Although it's a bit short on plot and depth of character, Silent Hill is a gorgeously filmed bit of horror candy, a cut above your usual slasher/creepy-guy-in the woods movies.
To be fair, it's a movie based on a video game, so I wasn't expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised at how compelling the visuals really are. Not being a fan of the video game, I wondered why the director didn't flesh out the characters more, because there's plenty to work with, but the visual sensibility of the film more than makes up for this flaw.
Most of what makes horror work is the way it compels us, and this movie redeemed its lack of character depth with its questions of what's driving the characters: love, and a real examination of what faith is. The main character's love for her daughter drives her through hell and back, and her faith saves her without being heavy-handed. Although the villains call themselves faithful, their faith is self-centred, controlling, and destructive. My favourite line in the movie: "God isn't here." Recommended for a pleasantly scary ride, if you're a horror fan.