Plot: Rose (Radha Mitchell) decides to take her troubled adopted daughter, Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) to Silent Hill, the place that Sharon calls out to when she sleepwalks. On the way there, they get into a car accident and Rose is knocked into unconsciousness. When she wakes up, Sharon is not there. Rose finds herself in Silent Hill, a town engulfed by an alternate reality of fog and falling ash. While searching for Sharon, Rose encounters reality shifts and monsters and uncovers Sharon's connection to the town's mysterious past.
Review: I liked this movie, but it does have its flaws. Firstly, I found the film's plot to be interesting and original, but it can be difficult to follow. In the beginning, it wasn't that hard to go along with the plot and story, but when they entered Silent Hill, it was confusing because there are many time shifts and they're in an alternate reality that it isn't in any way related to the real world.
This film is based off a series of video games. So people who have played this game might understand, but I haven't played those games so I don't. I think it would've been better for the writers to try and make the film more understandable to people who are hearing of Silent Hill for the first time. I've watched this movie twice and I do understand a little bit more, but it can still be confusing. Especially the ending.
But what I did appreciate about the plot is all the different elements in it. Despite this film being set in an alternate reality, we see various elements such as what makes a good mother, religion, love for a child and the depth of human emotion from different perspectives.
I found the film too long. It runs for 125 minutes and I found there were several unnecessary scenes that could've been cut.
This movie is genuinely scary and suspenseful. Many horror films released in the last twelve years or so go for cheap and predictable scares. For me, there weren't much of those scares in Silent Hill and I appreciate that as a fan of horror movies.
Visually, the film is stunning. The universe of Silent Hill is a great thing to see. You feel that Silent Hill is an entirely different universe altogether and not in this world. The isolation, the creepiness, mystery and suspense that draws from the sets is just fantastic.
The demonic creatures that we see in the film are very scary and strange. Some of them don't have eyes, mouths or arms. The great majority of them don't have either of those three. These are the kind of creatures that kids would have nightmares about. Not knowing what they are just adds the fear and intensity in the scenes they appear.
The acting is pretty good. Radha Mitchell is a great lead as Rose, who takes her daughter to Silent Hill. She does great work portraying Rose's vulnerability and her strength, which continues to grow throughout her journey in Silent Hill. Laurie Holden plays Cybil, a motorcycle police officer who is suspicious of Rose and follows her into Silent Hill. Although she's not likable in the beginning, we see Cybil is kind and loyal, which is evident towards the film's ending. Alice Krige plays Christabella, the leader of the town's cult. She's just as creepy as the creatures and plays the role exceptionally well.
But the standout for me is Jodelle Ferland, who is actually very impressive in this. She plays three different roles in this, all different and distinct from one another. Most child actors wouldn't be able to play that convincingly. And she pulled it off and brilliantly so.
Silent Hill is entertaining, has surprising genuine scares and is very unique, but it's still a film that is slightly unbalanced and can be confusing to people who are entering this world for the first time. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a try because despite its flaws, it's well-worth watching.
Rating: 3/5
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