Disturbing yet Beautiful

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2006)

In his 'Silent Hil's review, Rober Ebert said "Perhaps those who have played the game will understand the movie, and enjoy it". Well, I never played the game and I understand the movie and I totally enjoy it. Frankly, Silent Hill is one of the finest horror movie that I ever watched recently! Silent Hill is based on a video game and thankfully Uwie Boll doesn't put his hand on this.
Sharon Da Silva (Jodelle Ferland) is suffering from night-walker and kept saying 'Silent Hill' in her dream. Despite the hesitation of her husband, Chris (Sean Bean), Sharon's mother, Rose (Radha Mitchell) take her to the site. Now deserted, Silent Hill is a ghastly looking town and full with secrets that Rose must reveal if she want to save her life and her daughter life.
Silent Hill is about mystery and maintain it with full of disturbing yet terrific visuals and scares. The mystery is so captivating and never let our attention wander around. Silent Hill also barely rely on just scare tactics. In my humble opinion, the horrors are not so scary, but Mr. Gans succeed to keep us as the audience to seat still. Yes, the story somewhat surreal and have some holes, but is hard for any horror movies without holes. And the holes this movie contains is not in the annoying rate, but still tolerable.
This is the third movie of Christophe Gans, after The Crying Freeman and Brotherhood of the Wolf. Once again he shows his ability in images and scenery, which is beautiful as visuals. He also could keep the atmospheric elements from the games and that I might say is also borrowing from the J-Horror style. I do not complaining about it since the result is good.
The acting is always could dependable form the cast, since Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean and Deborah Kara Unger is amongst of the finest actors that I ever know. They bring a solid performance that delivers the tension that the movie need.
As conclusion, Silent Hill is a first rate horror movie and must watch for the genre's fans or the video-gamers that love the game.