Silent Horror

I posted, probably over a year ago, on the topic of horror. I covered a few movies, a few games, maybe a book or two. I've certainly mentioned it in the intervening time. Horror is a topic that I rarely grow tired of talking or thinking about. So I was pretty excited to go see the Silent Hill movie. I doubt too many of you will be terribly interested in the movie, but if you haven't seen it and you want to, I'll label this post as more than likely full of spoilers. So there you go, consider yourselves warned.

In the video game world there are really only a couple of camps when it comes to the horror genre (or survival horror for you purists). The Resident Evil side and the Silent Hill side. RE is famous for zombies, tense jump moments, lots of back-tracking, odd puzzles and a sense of tension often created by limited inventory just as much as creepy environs. If memory serves, RE pretty much fathered the genre. Most people appreciated the first one, cheesy dialogue and all. The subsequent sequels tended to find less and less favor until the RE 4 which is credited with breathing new life into the franchise much like Batman Begins saved the dark knight.

While Resident Evil was on the wane, a new franchise was born: Silent Hill. It featured a normal guy looking for his daughter in a town covered in fog. A town that was not safe. A town that every so often, after warning given by an air raid siren, turned into something darker. Deadlier. If RE was about visceral chills, Silent Hill went for a cerebral scare. Which isn't to say that it ignored jump moments or gore, it certainly featured both, but it focused on a sense of suspense and creating an air of "what the hell is happening here?"

Creatures born of nightmare (and possibly a Giger painting) roamed these worlds. Seemingly innocent places would turn sinister in the blink of an eye. Just the demo of the first game was enough to give me nightmares. Which cemented its place in my heart. Here was a game that I could enjoy - a game that would scare me. I've since played the first two and would really love to play three and four. Honestly the second is a much better game, but I have a little more nostalgia for the first one.

Which brings us to the movie. I honestly have a hard time deciding if I liked it or not. There was certainly potential to make an amazing horror film - a town that seems to draw cursed souls to it and dispense its own sense of justice. A town that is never quite the same for anyone that visits. A town that is home to pure evil. What's not to like? I think the movie would have fared better had it not tried to mirror the games so closely. It basically retells the first game, while allowing bits of the second to creep in. A good way to allow fans of the games to get some enjoyment as they see bits from the games made "real", but not a good way to draw in casual viewers.

And there were some really odd pacing choices. The first three quarters of the movie really only contain enough story for about the first act (if that) of a normal film. The time is instead spent walking viewers through sequences of the game. All the high points are hit - the school, the church, the hotel (2nd game), the hospital. It isn't until the end that the film actually starts explaning things and giving the viewer a sense of what's actually going on. Now to be fair there is some of that in the game as well, but in a game you're participating. Story telling tends to take a back seat to the experience. Film doesn't work that way.

So what to make of Silent Hill the film? First it looks amazing. The transition sequences as the town changes are inspired. Definitely the high point. The plot (such as it was) is a little on the lacking side. Which is at least partly due to the fact that it's following the first game. The second game had a much stronger plot and the world of Silent Hill really started to make sense. The first game was more an exercise in setting things up and creating something unique. The music was great if you played the games as most of it came from there. I've always liked the music in the games so that was a nice touch. The acting was fine. Nothing outstanding, but I've certainly seen worse. It gets quite gory at the end and actually starts to channel Hellraiser a little more than Silent Hill. There are some disturbing acts and images. Which certainly keeps with some of the themes of the game, but they made a couple odd character and plot choices that are jarring if you're a fan of the game. I suspect regular viewers were just plain shocked as opposed to shocked and confused. The ending was nicely done. The proper amount of head scratching and ambiguity. I'm glad they didn't Hollywood-ize it.

So, some good potential that wasn't completely realized, but wasn't completely wasted either. If you've played the games, you're going to get more out of the film. That much is a given. If you haven't you'll probably spend more time wondering why this was made and who plays this kind of stuff. Which is actually pretty normal, so that's not all that big a surprise. Admittedly, we gamers are a rather strange bunch on occasion. I guess the best thing that can be said is this is definitely not the worst video game adaptation out there. Unfortunately it's also not the video game movie we've all been waiting for either. The sequel (if there is one) could be though. If they are willing to spend the time creating something new for the world of Silent Hill. I'm certainly more than willing to visit again.