If your a fan of the games then you've got to watch this. Very weird, but interesting and leaves you thinking (like the games)

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2006)

As a big fan of the Silent Hill games series I was excited but very dubious about this movie. I was particularly concerned about the transition of Harry (from SH1) into Rose, however the character did work more or less. The movie as a whole stays true to the games although the plot is very different in many ways to all of them. There are elements of the first three games present during the movie, particularly SH1 and SH2. Fans of SH2 will be pleased to see pyramid head brought to life on the big screen. What's great about the movie is the atmosphere, the isolation of the foggy streets of Silent Hill is perfectly created and the transition into the dark realm of Silent Hill is particularly good. The monsters stay largely true to their video game counterparts although I would like to have seen some dog monsters as these feature in every game in the series(from what I can remember). The storyline is very complex (like the games) and may leave many viewers very confused. One girl behind me in the cinema kept saying "I don't get it!". However, don't let this put you off. Like the games the storyline is open to your own interpretation. Different people will see different meanings in what is occurring and there isn't really a right or wrong answer. After leaving the cinema I asked my brother what he thought the ending of the movie meant and his answer was very different to my interpretation. I was thinking about the meaning behind various things in the movie for long afterwards. I think this is a good thing because it shows that the movie has got into your subconscious and stayed with you after leaving the cinema (a far cry from your average hack and slash horror film which is forgotten within about 2 minutes). The dialogue can get annoying at times. It seems as if Rose says nothing more than "Sharon!" for much of the film as she explores the town looking for her daughter. However there are some longer periods of dialogue which help to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Sean Bean's character's side plot is good at helping to explain a few things, however the character is under used in my opinion. In terms of violence the film gets quite intense in places. In England this movie has a 15 certificate but I have no idea how it didn't get an 18. One scene involving Pyramid Head is fairly gross and Cybil's death scene is very gruesome. There is a very gory and violent scene involving barbed wire (hellraiser style) when Allesa enters the church near to the end of the movie. So this movie is definitely not one for the kiddies. The scares in this movie are not "jump out of your seat" type moments but psychological horror that weaves its way into your subconscious. Although this movie is not particularly scary to someone who is used to the games I wouldn't recommend it to someone of a nervous disposition as it can get quite intense particularly in the dark realm. In conclusion, I would like to say that if your a fan of the Silent Hill game series then you should definitely see this movie because you won't be disappointed. If your not a fan and you want to see a horror movie that is much better and more intelligent then any horror movie in the last 10 years then you should also see this movie. If your of a nervous disposition and/or you hate gory death scenes then avoid this movie. And if your just curious and you want an evening out then definitely give this one some thought.