Silent...but deadly?
Released: 2011
Genre(s): Horror, Thriller
What makes a haunted house scary? Is it the gruesome brutality of events past? The decrepit, forlorn atmosphere, resulting from years of neglect? The complete lack of wi-fi?
No. It's the otherworldly haunts. Ghosts - whether they float, teleport, crawl, hobble, or slither - are undeniably terrifying mother effers. They can disappear without warning, only to later manifest in any number of places where they don't belong (like your mirror). They come shrieking out of the shadows and get up in your grill. And they're always trying to turn your furniture into avant-garde art fixtures. Even the most misunderstood spirits are creepy as hell, which is normally their own fault for acting like screaming, bleeding assholes, instead of just sending their friends a text from beyond the grave that says "WTF I was murdered LOL."
So what does this have to do with "Silent House"? Well, for one, the movie is riddled with things that go bump in the night - and boy, do they bump a lot. In fact, many of the film's most spine-tingling moments occur when the tranquility of the old, rickety house is unexpectedly shattered by the sounds of shuffling footsteps in some uninhabited upstairs room. Slamming doors, twisted visions of unknown crimes committed during the abode's dark history, and unexplained paranormal activity all contribute to an eerie and unsettling setup.
Unfortunately, said setup is slow to start, with much of the movie's first moments being taken up by backstory that is so bare-bones that it in no way is able to justify its plodding pace or disjointed delivery. Once things actually get going, "Silent House" does manage to ride high on its effective combination of quasi-"found footage" sensibilities and the psychological pressure of the main character's situation. The whole emotional package being sold here is heightened significantly, thanks to the film being edited to view like a single take - the lack of scene transitions ensures there isn't much time to gather yourself between jolts. However, even this novel approach isn't enough to save "Silent House" from itself during some critical moments.
While Elizabeth Olsen does an excellent job of working herself into a horrified frenzy, she's unable to support the entire cast. The supporting characters seem wooden in their movements and conversations, making it impossible for us to feel the same level of panic during each scene. Where there isn't any dialogue, we're left with long, drawn-out sequences that rob the movie of all momentum, instead of offering the same delectable slow burn tactics seen during the middle acts. These moments become even more unbearable once the plot basically begins to bash us over the head with such obvious foreshadowing that the rest of the film feels like a game of "Wheel of Fortune" with only the vowels missing. It's honestly insulting to the audience's intelligence and makes the twist incredibly underwhelming.
It's a shame, because "Silent House" could have utilized its blend of gimmicky camerawork, haunted house elements, and psychological horror presentation to differentiate itself from similar films in the genre; instead, it ends up as a mediocre remake of the original Uruguayan movie. It's also a huge bummer that someone in Hollywood felt the need to steal this idea almost immediately after the release of its South American counterpart. Even lamer is the claim that this film is "inspired by true events" - this is basically movie maker code for "at some point, something happened to some people that may or may not have been like this, but we think this is what went down." Leaning on gimmicks more than on substance makes this an average flick with a couple good scares and a subpar, dissatisfying ending.
Rating (out of 5): 3
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