A Beautiful Horror Film

Rating: 8/10 (28 May 2013)

Oh, Silent Hill. A masterpiece, very close. An excellent standalone film, depends on your outlook. Deserves a lot more respect and love from everyone, even beyond horror fans and fans of the game, absolutely.
While only familiar with the game, the movie as a standalone film is very well done. As many reviews have stated, the atmosphere is haunting, making you want to take a trip back to Silent Hill whenever you get a chance. Its creepy, mesmerizing and intriguing all at once. This is not, per se, a horror movie. There is some violence, some rather gory scenes, but nothing too over the top or torturous or that we have not seen before. Rather, its a fantasy tale told with elements of horror. Yes, that does it justice. It's a complicated plot, that only becomes clearer with more viewings, and even then, you're better off reading forums and Q&A's for the many ways you can interpret the film.
Is it flawed? Unfortunately, yes. For a horror movie that runs for two hours, believe it or not, I found it short. The first hour flies by, making the viewer beg for more but the second act is rather slow and the third act is rushed. The time management of the film was poor, and if it had a stronger more engaging second act and more developed third act, this film would be superb and a true gem for Hollywood. Unfortunately, it was overlooked and went terribly wrong by promoting itself as your average horror film for gorehounds and horny teenagers. There is no sex. No jumpscares. No blood and guts throughout. Rather, what we get is a genuine scary fantasy film with a creepy atmosphere, great plot, amazing visuals, intriguing characters, and layers of complexity.
To sum is all up, it is what I call a beautiful horror film, or a fantasy tale with some horror elements mixed in. It's flaws lie in its "target" audience. If you are looking for a film to delve into and explore for two hours with an open mind and willing to understand, definitely add Silent Hill to your must see list. One of my favorite movies of all time, yes, of all time. If you're looking for a quick entertaining horror flick with gore, nudity and a spoon fed plot, don't view this film and give it a bad rating. It definitely deserves something higher than a 6.8 (current rating now), and closer to an 8. Good job Silent Hill, restoring our faith in Hollywood once more.