Silent Hill

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Tyler

I think this is the first modern video game film where I was actually a huge rabid fan of the games before I saw the film. I love the Silent Hill games. The first one I played was number 3, I rented out on a whim and was totally horrified and engrossed. And even then I thought the main girl looked an awful lot like Radha Mitchell and if they ever did a film she should star. So imagine my delight when they announced Roger Avary writing, Christophe Gans directing and Radha Mitchell starring, albeit in a different role.

The most incredible thing about this film from a fan perspective is how well it captures the look of the games. Many scenes look like shot for shot recreations of moments, the production design is impeccable. And the fact they used much of the infamous and iconic music and sounds directly from the game helps as well. And the monsters look great.

The cast is great all around although you can sort of tell they didn't realise there were no male characters in the film until the last minute and added in all those scenes with Sean Bean and the detective.

Where the film falters is exposition. Something they barley worry about in the games but is needed to make a more coherent film. Dumping it all in one big heap at the end of the film is tiresome and really drags it out. A little clunky. There's something to be said for the Japanese style of just keeping everything vague and unexplained. It does make it creepy but doesn't exactly translate well to western audiences in a narrative form to well.

I'm really jazzed there is a sequel coming out, that much of the same cast are returning and that the additions are great as well. This time it looks like they'll be adapting more of my favourite game, the 3rd one. As it stands this first film is potentially mystifying and probably a little inaccessible to non-fans, I can't be sure. I only know that as a fan it was great to see the world so perfectly realised on the big screen and even with it's flaws, I loved this one.