Silent Hill (2006)

Supernatural horror based on the popular video game.

Game-to-film transitions are never without issue, there seems to be problem creating the same sort of experiences for viewers, that gamers have. Silent Hill, directed by Christopher Gans, follows suit.

In an effort to rid her child of excruciating nightmares and panic attacks, Rose takes her daughter Sharon to Silent Hill, as the young girl keeps mentioning the place during her fits. The town is off the map, and nearby locals warn Rose of its danger, the town was consumed by a fire in the '70s and it still burns underground now. Rose ignores the protests, and eventually has to outrun a police car in order to gain access to the forbidden town on a hill. When she arrives, she crashes after seeing a figure in the road and swerving, and awakes to find Sharon gone, and only the police woman Bennett for company. Now Rose must find her daughter amongst the carnage of Silent Hill, where monsters, falling ash, and secrets run riot. In pursuit of her is her husband and a fumbling police team.

During her search of Silent Hill, Rose crosses paths with a number of ghouls, but she also comes across other women who have lost their child, and a church group who are seemingly trying to avoid "the darkness", and fight the demon.

Many aspects of this film are impressive. First off, the monsters are wonderfully imaginative, taking on vast extremes of horror. Throughout the film, the different creatures that Rose encounters seem to increase in the level of danger that they represent, much like the game. Another positive aspect to the film, is the cinematography. The town is presented in a covering of grey ash which produces some excellent visuals, and there is some brilliant camera work to convey the misery of this place.

That being said, the most fundamental flaw in this movie is the storyline. Its trouble is that it plays out like a game, not a film. The scenes seem to be haphazardly stuck together in a level-by-level basis, and the reactions of the characters seem to be completely unbelievable.

Interestingly, this film presents some excellent gender issues. It is almost a completely female cast, and the only male characters seem to be appallingly impotent. The nature of womanhood plays a large role in the story (one of the few interesting bits), and adds to a brilliant combination of love/horror.

An interesting take on the game, but a film that lacks coherency, and follows a structure that is predictable. Worth a watch for the monsters though!