Beware the siren...

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2006)

I was with a degree of trepidation that I approached Silent Hill, as an avid video game fanatic I am always the first to pick up on, follow and see game-to-screen movies. Over the years there have been a few highs (Mortal Kombat 1, Resident Evil 1, Doom, and the animated depictions of Tekken and Street Fighter), there have also been some dire lows (see Uwe Boll and Mortal Kombat Annihilation!). Having seen trailers for Silent Hill some months prior, it seemed as if the jinx was to be broken and at last we were going to be presented with a game adaptation worthy of its' title...
With Christophe Gans at the helm and a wealth of input from the games' creators at Konami, Silent Hill doesn't disappoint! In fact, it excels in what it is and what it tries to do.
While the uninitiated will be perplexed by the winding story and characterisation, this (I believe) is ultimately a film for the fans...I have read many reviews slating the film, noting on it's lack of scares and confusing plot. But these reviewers are admittedly Silent Hill virgins and thus do not understand the premise behind the film or the reasons behind the aforementioned twisting plot and characterisation. It is this decision to make a game for the fans, which has ultimately lead to split reviews.
In my humble opinion, game-to-film adaptations, should be made for the fans.
During the film itself we are greeted with a plethora of psychological thrills and truly outstanding art direction! The 'creatures' themselves look stunning (especially the nurses and the oppressive figure of The Pyramid Head), their role in the film is not to scare, but to provide the audience with a great feeling of trepidation. This is achieved to marvellous effect! While the critics have picked up on the lack of traditional 'scares', this is not what Silent Hill is about...the entire idea regarding the 'horror' is to keep the audience/gamer on edge. Through the use of the ever changing environments and set pieces, the film does this superbly and at the moment is without equal. The ever changing world of Silent Hill is accurately and spectacularly recreated and fans of the games will have a deeply nostalgic feeling throughout...many places are brought back to life with devastating effect!
The performances of the actors deserves also deserves a mention, Rahda Mitchell is expertly cast and thoroughly breathes life into the character of Rose. The characters of Shannon, Cybil Bennett and Dahlia are also expertly cast and firmly cement the films' ever impressive presentation.
I won't mention the details of the story or the characters...but suffice to say, Silent Hill is one of a very small handful of successful game adaptations...and while the uninitiated may have difficulty enjoying the film, fans and fanatics alike will revel once again in the dark magic that is Silent Hill.
Sayuri x