Mediocre and ineffective

Rating: 3/10 (16 February 2015)

I was a fan of the Silent Hill game franchise prior to my watching of this film. I didn't expect much from it, given the poor record of other video game to movie adaptations, so my reaction shouldn't surprise me. But it did. This film does a good job of making the complex narrative of the games look schlocky and typical. Oh look, cultists! Oh, just kooky Christians, never mind. Oh look, a cop! Oh, she plays by the book and has a brooding past. Oh look, evil/otherworldly being! Oh, Satan.
Another problem of this film is a lack of effective/lasting horror. This movie follows a very western style of horror in which a scary thing appears and lets you get a good look at it. This contrasts deeply with a precedent established in the games, that the horror should be concealed or in some way masked. Changing this aspect creates a feeling of disjointedness between the psychological themes and the delivery of said themes, and ultimately reduces their effectiveness.
Speaking of ineffective premises that this movie claims to have, the mystery is non-existent. There are few clues that culminate into the solution, just essentially a solution given flat out. The "clues" just say what they are trying to say, and after the audience already knows what happened, the film decides to reiterate.
Conclusion: Don't bother with the movie, just go play the game.