Konamis chilling survival horror series slithers into the cinematic world as Christopher Gans skincrawling movie is released into your homes and hands.
With the ever-ravenous Hollywood film studios looking to make a quick buck off the back of the videogame industry we all know and love, it's refreshing to find a movie based on a game that isn't all epilepsy-inducing action and excruciating one-liners. Silent Hill takes the carefully paced suspense and nerve-shredding horror of Konami's seven year-old Survival Horror series, and delivers an intelligent, well-acted and terrifying glimpse into the twisted realm that was once a sleepy, mid-American mining village.
When the sleepwalking escapades of little Sharon Da Silva (Jodelle Ferland) begin to get life-threatening, her desperate mother Rose (Radha Mitchell - Finding Neverland, Pitch Black) whisks Sharon away to follow the only clue she has, her daughter's rantings about a place called Silent Hill. Once there, Rose, along with cop Cybill Bennett (Laurie Holden - Fantastic Four, The Majestic) are drawn into a nightmare realm of warped half-human creatures, death and untold suffering that will be all too chillingly familiar to fans of the videogame series.
The Hill has eyes Director Christopher Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Crying Freeman) has done a fantastic job of bringing the style of Silent Hill to the silver screen; the perpetually foggy setting, the radio static warning of approaching creatures and the trademark torch-lit restricted view of the world. Gans has also drawn excellent performances from his two, relatively unknown female stars, portraying the desperation and determination of a concerned mother, and the courage and self-sacrifice of a brave policewoman.
The supporting cast also pull out great performances such as Sean Bean's (Flightplan, Lord of the Rings) understated portrayal of Rose's grief-stricken husband and Alice Krige's (Star Trek: First Contact) psychotic Silent Hill town leader Christabella, no doubt the cause of many a nightmare to come.
The special effects will also cause the odd sleepless night as CGI and great monster make-up combine to put some truly horrific images on screen. The movie's mature rating is pushed to the limit and beyond as deformed, burnt creatures stalk the shadows, Pyramid Head tears the skin from a hapless victim and a screaming sacrifice is horrifically burnt to death. As with the game, Silent Hill is not a place for the squeamish or faint-hearted.
Silent like the grave The film is not without its faults, and just like Konami's videogame outings, some viewers may find the pacing a little too slow, and some may find the claustrophobic fog and darkness just a little too much to handle for over two hours. But like it or not, fans of the games will certainly applaud Gans' efforts to bring an authentic slice of videogame Survival Horror to a wider audience, while non-gamers will discover a clever, disturbing and original horror movie to add to their collections.
The DVD version features an excellent and extensive "Making of" documentary which really gives an idea of what Gans was trying to achieve with the movie and why he cast the actors in the roles he did. The documentary also gives a revealing insight into the movie's disturbing special effects, and shows some of the "freaks" relaxing between takes, which is more warped than the movie itself!
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