Roger Avary wants shooting...

Rating: 6/10 (31 August 2006)

First things first. As a fan of the games and a fan of the horror genre, I was apprehensive when I first heard about the project. No-one more than me wanted to see this film made - but made well. I was excited to find out that some of the music from the game was going to be used in the film, as the music was one of the catalysts (along with the dense fog and white noise) for the atmosphere and subdued tension within the game.
Then I saw the film...
I have got to say that Roger Avary wants shooting! I have been a fan of his work with Quentin Tarantino from Reservoir Dogs through to Killing Zoe, but saw little of the sharp dialogue synonymous with these movies. Okay, okay, so it's a 'horror' film and the dialogue generally plays second fiddle to the visuals - but that's no excuse for sloppiness.
Sean Bean was hideously under used, the music was often too contemporary, and for some reason three-quarters of the way through, the film turns into an (even more bizarre!) version of The Wicker Man. On the plus side, the cinematography, costume and set design are near-perfect.
On the whole, Silent Hill fans should at least get something from the film; if only the knowledge that they could've done better. If they had payed as much attention to detail to the narrative as they did to the closing credits, we could have all left the cinema knowing the game to film curse had been lifted. Close but no cigar...