A unique existential horror film

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2006)

The Silent Hill video games are most well known for the brutal, horrifying gore and violence within its dark industrial landscape. This is not, however, what makes the series unique.
Silent Hill is unique because of its existential introspection. Throughout every game, the story focuses less on the monsters around them, and more on the human characters that unwittingly created it, and are now trapped within it. It is not the monsters that pose the greatest threat to the characters, but the guilt and darkness within their own hearts. This brutally honest introspection is what made the second Silent Hill game both a hit with the survival horror crowd, and artistic, introspective people as well.
Silent Hill, the movie, continues to blur this line between 'rubber monster' horror and art, and succeeds in creating a wonderful movie in the process, by combining amazing visual effects (both through the bizarre monsters and the eeire abandoned, ash covered town of Silent Hill) and complex, flawed characters.
Everyone, for their own reason, deserves to be in Silent Hill. There are no true innocents in this or any other Silent Hill story, as even the children involved have their own dark past.
The movie doesn't exactly follow the traditional story of Silent Hill, but it perfectly recreates the look, feel and style of the series, creating imaginative and disgusting abominations, and a cerebral story that slowly unwinds, ending in a bloody climax that satisfies all, from the loyal Silent Hill fans, to the critical thinkers and to slasher-flick fans just out for a good time.
This universal appeal of Silent Hill is ultimately both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Although appealing, its impossible to take the movie completely seriously. Vividly beautiful and tragic scenes are coupled with scenes of ridiculous gore and latex monsters. Don't get me wrong, this is quite possibly as good a slasher-monster-horror story can get, but it's ultimately still a slasher-monster-horror story, and cannot transcend the gap into cinematic art.
On the other hand, the creators weren't necessarily attempting to make classic cinema any more then they were making a cheap, brainless horror flick. They made a Silent Hill movie. It wasn't cheap or lazy, but on the other hand they didn't take many risks either.
It's still the best horror movie you'll see this year, and possibly even decade. Go see it now, you won't be disappointed. Don't make Pyramid-head come get you. ^_^ After viewing Silent Hill the first time, I ran into some friends on the way out who were on their way in, and happily purchased a ticket to watch it again.