Return to Silent Hill. Quick look back on the movie.

By: Justin Hopkins

I know what you may be thinking. Why are you talking about a movie that came out in 2006. Movie is 13 years old and you are choosing to talk now. Well, the Shout Factory has released the Collectors Edition Blu Ray today, and with this being a horror movie that I hold in rather high regard. Think it is overlooked when good horror movies are discussed and most importantly, one of the rare, brightest gems in the video game adaption of a movie. With that said, lets once again delve into another much more intense, disturbing fog, of Silent Hill.

I’ll be the first one to admit, while I know a lot of the lore and backstory around the games. I am not the most experienced at playing them. Have started playing a bit of 2 when I heard that this was coming, and the first one, beat me down hard, but with that said, Director Christophe Gans and his team really got the details down. From camera angles when Rose first arrives and is racing through town, and the changing camera angles were straight out of the first game. Even getting the exact scene of her chasing who she believes is Sharon to the unveil of the Gray Children. The atmosphere and mood was perfect. It wasn’t gross, but disturbing and unnerving. Which is what Silent Hill is all about.  It isn’t about going, oh that is so sick or gross, but What the, and that movie gets that. From Pyramid Head ripping the woman’s skin off Anna and then throwing it at our protagonists to the guy with his feet barbed wired to his head and the frosting on the top; the nurses. Was 16 when I came out, and the way those Nurses moved, blindly slashing each other’s throats has stayed with me to this day. Bravo to some unsung heroes, Roberto Campanello, Micheal Coto, Yvonne NG, and the dancers behind the Nurses, for bringing these monsters to life in terrifying form.

Can go on for a long, long time, but I want to talk about one more thing, and that is the psychology behind this and the questions left behind. There is an actual psychological element to this movie. May not be as strong as the games, but with Silent Hill being different for everyone, kind of makes sense that it’s not the same. By going the route of this being Alessa’s Silent Hill. It opened the door to bring any monster they wanted, because they were the worst torture to use against those who hurt her, with the two mothers. Dahila Gillespese ( Deborah Kara Unger) lament over her failure to save her daughter and Rose Da Silva ( Radha Mitchell) sheer willpower to overcome the horror and the cult to save hers. Both being the same of Sharon and Alessa, and Jordelle Ferland is still one of the creepiest entities in a movie or game as Dark Alessa. Would put her performance against almost anyone.

I love the Collector’s Edition of Silent Hill. It’s a lot of a cut. Can really make out the details on the make-up and special effects. Laurie Holden looking hardcore Cybil Bennett. So, get out there and pick up your copy. Give it a fresh look or first look. Take in the relationships between everyone and how they contrast each other, and let your mind wonder on the question; Is that Sharon at the end or Alessa?

Thanks for reading