Mostly Good, With One Big Mistake

Rating: 7/10 (21 October 2015)

I am a fan of the Silent Hill games. I loved the games' ability to create an overwhelming feeling of suspense, fearing what is behind the fog and yet always being driven towards it. There has always been a psychological aspect to the games, not just in how it plays on the very human fear of the unknown, but also in how the events and creatures that exist in the games reflect the psyche of the main character. Or do they? The thing that made these games stand out for me compared to other games in the horror genre is their unique approach to the blurring of the psychological and the supernatural. That's not to say other games don't do this, just that the way in which Silent Hill does this is a little bit different, it is used to instill a sense of dread and curiosity. I usually found myself thinking a lot about the games afterward, interpreting the plot through a psychological or philosophical lens (although admittedly I try to do that with many games and movies). Part of this also has to do with the fact that many of these games were made to be open to interpretation. There is a vagueness as to the characters and creatures' motivations, but there is enough in the game for you to build off of and form your own interpretation.
This is where I think this film has its one failing. For the most part, the film is pretty good. Without any spoilers, the plot and characters are mostly made from different pieces of the first three Silent Hill games. This is then combined with some new ideas to create a story that is still very Silent Hill, but is also its own unique story separate from any of the games. The casting was done well, all of the actors really seemed to fit well in their roles. No one seemed out of place, and they mostly did a pretty good job acting. And let's be honest: the acting here is at the least better than some of the voice acting in the English dubs of the Silent Hill games, which usually weren't top notch. The visual effects, including the fog/ash and the creatures, were all done well and utilized well to create that feeling of suspense and dread and intrigue.
Where the movie falls apart is near the end. Spoiler-free, a character shrouded in mystery that is pivotal to the plot decides to basically explain their entire back story and how each piece of it relates to events depicted earlier in the movie. This basically removes all the mystery and suspense the movie had built up in one big reveal. It makes explicit everything that should have been left open for interpretation. I feel that unfortunately this important aspect of what makes Silent Hill different and unique was destroyed by this moment. Why did they do this? Did they really just not get that aspect of what made Silent Hill great? Or did they have a test audience full of people who just don't want to think and use their brains and wanted an ending where every detail is explained and laid out for them? On top of this, the explanation that is given for everything is, well, unfortunately pretty generic. It is one that is full of horror clichés, which further removes the identity and individuality this film could have had.
This film could have stood out as something unique in the body of psychological horror films. It at the very least stands out among video game based films, with the only horror rival being the Resident Evil series. But Resident Evil always favored action over thought, both in the games and in the movies. I hoped that Silent Hill would succeed in bringing a little more depth and subtly to the big screen to contrast this, and to do it well. And while they definitely tried, it seems like they chickened out at the last second, and the result is a good film that could have been so much more.