Great horror movies are few and far between, and Silent House is not among the few. A remake of the 2010 Uruguayan film of the same title, Chris Kentis directs the classic tale of an old, run-down house, as scary movements and noises begin to happen around a young girl. While the plot for most of the movie is extremely unoriginal and there is a poorly explained revel at the end, the acting and documentary-style cinematography gives it some redeeming qualities.
The film opens with Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen), her father, John (Adam Trese), and her Uncle Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens), fixing up their lake house which is consistently being destroyed by squatters. Like any other horror movie involving an old and frightening house, it’s located far from town with no cell phone or internet service. There is a clear slight dysfunction in the family, as there is constant bickering between Sarah’s dad and uncle, two brothers. John has the “my way or the highway” stigma over his younger brother, and Peter leaves the house for about an hour after an argument regarding mold on the walls.
In the beginning of the short 88 minute film, one of Sarah’s old childhood friends, Sophia (Julia Taylor Ross), knocks on the door. They reconnect in an awkward conversation for a few minutes, and not clearly remembering her childhood memories with Sophia, Sarah uncertainly agrees to hang out with her later that night. After Sophia leaves, Sarah hears strange noises upstairs and asks her father to investigate. The film then progresses into the plot of a stereotypical old, empty house with a strange person walking around, while Sarah attempts to escape. The final act wraps up the film in a surprising, violent, and confusing manner. While the ending adds much excitement to the steady – not counting a few big jumps – plot, it is poorly explained and leaves the audience with more questions than answers.
While the screenplay is stereotypical and the ending is confusing, the unique cinematography gives the film redemption. The cinematography style appears as if the entire movie is unedited and was filmed in a single take. This gives the audience a feel of “real time,” as the camera follows Sarah up and down staircases, follows her walking around the house, as well as running outside for a long period. This unique filming style adds suspense to the film, as it is filmed solely through Sarah’s perspective.
The acting is also strong, as Elizabeth Olsen gives an exceptional performance. She portrays the part of a scared, confused, and deeply troubled young girl very well, while trying to survive the intense and somewhat violent 88 minutes. Adam Trese and Eric Shaffer Steves don’t have much screen time, but their acting is also outstanding. The three actors together easily convince the audience they are seemingly ordinary people and family.
While the plot is conventional and unoriginal, Silent House redeems itself with its choice of actors and cinematography. As it’s less than an hour and a half long, it’s sure to be a hit for the college-aged demographic once it’s released on DVD and Redbox. If the ending twist was better explained and the plot created other exciting and original sub-plots, Silent House would be a bigger hit in theaters.
Grade: C+
Rated: R (for disturbing violent content and terror.)
Silent House is currently playing nationwide.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.