SILENT HILL the movie- truly well done

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2006)

This film is very sympathetic to the source material. Borrowing heavily from aspects of the SH 1& 3 games, and some aspects of the 2nd game you descend into a confusing, horrific and violent world. The scares are not the usual cheap " BOO" scares you often get in horror films, but a slow insinuation of terror that grows and grows to a stunning end scene that left the entire audience in the theatre I was in quite speechless. (A further point on this element, as the film started a group of giggling teenage girls came in and sat at the back of the cinema, and a group of boisterous younger guys sat about midway. Fully expecting interruptions throughout the film, I was surprised at the end to have noted each of these parties of people had gone VERY quite and remained so the entire film. I put this down to the fact that this film had serious "weight" behind it & that the all pervading atmosphere it gave controlled the cinema audience extremely well).
The imagery on screen was often disturbing, and coupled with the excellent music and terrific sound effects, this film added upto to a high scoring 8.
If you like the games, you will see nods to each of them within the film.
If you have never seen the games, then you are about to be inducted into a world ( SH ) that will provoke you in 2 ways. Either the story confused you and therefore you wrote the film off, or, you "got into" the story, understood the concept and will be talking about this film with your friends for days afterwards.
A special award should go to this film for its stunning special effects, both visual and audio...truly amazing.
The Director of this film seemed to have a total grasp of what makes Silent Hill so disturbing, and he should be applauded for making such an incredible adaption of the wonderful series of games. Go see this film with an open mind, and be disturbed. I shall personally be watching for more of this Directors work.
The only issues I have with the film was the questionable way some of the script was written in the opening scenes, the poor acting ability of the young girl in the film and of one female actors who appears when our heroine(s) first reach the hotel. A couple of very minor points in an otherwise stunning achievement. Other than those issues, this film was an out and out winner. A triumph of the darkest cinema ( and I don't mean the lights were dimmed)...long may this type of cinematic journey be offered to us.
RECOMMENDED.