An excellent horror film and the best video game adaptation to date.

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2006)

This movie had so much potential to fail terribly, just for being based on a video game, yet it turned out to be the best horror film made in years. The cinematography was splendid, the special effects were top-notch, the story was well thought out, and the music (most of it taken directly from the games) was beautifully executed. The only part that wasn't perfect was the dialog; although the actors were well-suited for their roles, some of their lines seemed unnecessary or over-the-top (an apparently inescapable trait of all horror films).
The violence, gore, and disturbing imagery promised by the R rating are well delivered. The creatures, gore, and violence are all shown in plain sight; very little is left for your imagination to sort out. It is not necessary to play the games in order to understand the story. However, many secondary details are left unexplained (such as the origin of most creatures) for the viewers to arrive at their own conclusions, just like in the games. The important plot elements are explained appropriately, feeding all the important information without insulting the viewer's intellect. Still, I suspect that those who have no knowledge of the Silent Hill mythos may have a hard time understanding the ending.
Fans of the series will recognize elements taken from all four Silent Hill games, especially in the soundtrack, although the movie borrows mostly from the first two. Christopher Gans has shown utter respect for the series and careful attention to details; unlike with most video game adaptations to film, fans will agree that this film managed to capture the essence of the games with great accuracy.
Do expect: -A disturbing, high-tension experience. -Lots of unexplained phenomena*. -A reinterpretation of the first Silent Hill's story.
Don't expect: -Lots of cheap sudden scares. -Fast-paced, creature-mowing action sequences. -A definitive and thoroughly rational conclusion*. -Sean Bean in a groundbreaking role.
*Unless you're an über-fan of the series, in which case it will all make perfect sense.