‘Silent Hill’ Turns 20: Did Critics Get It Wrong?
Christophe Gans’ ‘Silent Hill’ turns 20 this year. In retrospect, were critics wrong about his visionary take?
Sometimes, critics are flat out wrong. One of the most egregious offenses, Christophe Gans’ Silent Hill adaptation holds a paltry 33 percent ratingon Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ consensus reads: “Silent Hill is visually impressive, but as with many video game adaptations, it’s plagued by inane dialogue, a muddled plot, and an overlong runtime.” Okay, sure, the 125-minute runtime is a little obnoxious, but Gans and cinematographer Dan Laustsen (Frankenstein, The Shape of Water) inject stunningly chilling imagery straight into the veins. The story, written by Roger Avary (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and based on the popular video game series published by Konami, delivers creeping dread and insidious evil with a sharp, glistening pen.
Upon a recent rewatch (the first since I saw it (20 years ago), I was struck by its reliance on tension, mood, and subtle scares that crawled up my backbone. The runtime, in fact, didn’t feel long but exactly what the story demanded. Often, filmmakers pad out their narratives with frivolous scenes that neither flesh out the characters nor advance the story. Silent Hill achieves a pulsating intensity with its high-stakes thematic thread of grief and character-driven development that feels like a natural progression, rather than forced or unwarranted.
Strong performances from Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, and Laurie Holden bolster an already sturdy script. I was particularly impressed by Mitchell’s delicate and complex layers of a mother torn apart by the disappearance of her daughter, Sharon (Jodelle Ferland). When Sharon begins dangerously sleepwalking out into the woods, it becomes clear that something truly horrifying is happening. The incident’s outward ripples create an emotional disconnect between Rose (Mitchell) and her husband Christopher (Bean). Rose becomes laser-focused on finding answers about Silent Hill, a secluded and abandoned town in West Virginia that Sharon has been uttering during these sleepful happenings, and she plots a mission to the derelict community without telling Christopher.
