It’s no secret that video game movies have earned themselves something of a bad reputation over the years. From 1993’s Super Mario Bros. to 2016’s Assassin’s Creed, the medium of film simply doesn’t seem to mesh well with the world of video games.
Every once in a while, however, there’s an exception that proves the rule. Take 2006’s Silent Hill adaptation for instance, which nails the feeling of playing through the original games for the first time, despite being far from perfect. Regardless, Silent Hill doesn’t seem to get the credit it deserves, so here are five reasons why it’s the best video game move – as well as five reasons it isn’t.
Best: Its Atmosphere Is Thick
When talking about the prospect of an upcoming video game adaptation, the first question people tend to ask is how its creators plan on adapting the game’s story. What’s not often considered however, is how it will capture the atmosphere of those games – and if there’s one thing the Silent Hill franchise has in spades, it's atmosphere.
Between the thick, impenetrable fog rolling through the streets of Silent Hill to the town’s eerie transition into darkness, Silent Hill looks and feels like the world fans have come to love – and fear – over the years.
Not The Best: It Lacks The Games’ Psychological Depth
Since Silent Hill nails so much of the detail and atmosphere that makes the games so highly regarded, it’s surprising that the movie omits one the defining aspects of its source material. Whereas the creatures populating Silent Hill are supposed to be twisted manifestations of the issues and anxieties of the games’ protagonists, the movie neglects to include this concept whatsoever.
It doesn’t exactly ruin the movie, but it does display a lack of psychological depth compared to the games – making the mysteries of Silent Hill and its protagonist slightly less compelling.
Best: The Creature Effects Are Amazing
While the creatures in Silent Hill may lack the symbolic elements of their video game counterparts, there’s no doubt that the movie’s creature effects are fantastically well-executed. Seamlessly blending its practical and CG elements, the monsters featured throughout the movie are suitably grotesque – with the Lying Figures and Nurses standing out as particularly memorable.
In fact, dancers were hired to play the series’ iconic Nurses to give them their signature jerky motion, which significantly adds to their menace – and it’s this overall attention to detail that makes the monsters feel so faithful to the source material.
Not The Best: Some Of The Acting Isn’t Great
It goes without saying that Silent Hill was never exactly intended to be an Oscar contender, but many of the movie’s performances leave a lot to be desired. While the movie’s protagonist Rose Da Silva is played admirably Radha Mitchell, the same can’t be said for some of Silent Hill’s other roles.
Rose’s daughter Sharon is far from convincing in the movie, and many of the town’s insane cult members ham things up a little too much. To top it all off, Sean Bean seems to be phoning in his performance – and for good reason – but more on that later.
Best: It Has A Haunting Score
The use of composer Akira Yamaoka’s iconic themes from the first few Silent Hill games is a huge part of what makes 2006’s Silent Hill movie such a successful adaptation. The game’s score is so beloved – not to mention thick with atmosphere – that creating a lackluster original score simply wouldn’t do.
Hearing Yamaoka’s haunting score accompany the movie’s strikingly creepy visuals evokes a sense of both spine-tingling dread and comforting nostalgia – and it’s easily one of the movie’s greatest strengths.
Not The Best: Sean Bean’s Storyline Is Entirely Tacked On
Playing Christopher Da Silva, the husband of protagonist Rose and adoptive father of Sharon, Sean Bean’s character in Silent Hill was completely absent from the first draft of the script – and it really shows.
Written into the movie due to studio concerns over its lack of male characters, Christopher’s inclusion in the script feels lazy and pointless – only serving to drag audiences out of Silent Hill’s atmospheric world to follow his tedious real-world storyline. In fact, Christopher’s journey never intersects with that of Rose and Sharon at all, making it feel like a poorly written and ill-conceived dead end.
Best: It’s Actually Creepy
While the majority of horror movies released in theaters today fail to deliver even the slightest sense of dread, Silent Hill is genuinely creepy in its best moments. Between its evocative score, gorgeously grim visuals, and fantastic monster designs, Silent Hill understands exactly what makes its source material so terrifying, and admirably emulates that for the big screen.
With a refreshing lack of jump scares or cheap scare tactics, Silent Hill relies on the inherent creepiness of its premise and world to make the audience uncomfortable.
Not The Best: Its Ending Is Lackluster
As impressively as the Silent Hill movie manages to capture the tone and atmosphere of the original games, the movie’s story is arguably its weakest aspect – and that goes doubly for its lackluster ending.
With Sean Bean’s Christopher failing to find his wife and daughter in Silent Hill, and Rose and Sharon managing to escape the clutches of the town’s malevolent cult, all three return home. It’s then revealed that the two parties are trapped in different dimensions – all residing in the same house but unable to interact with each other. It’s a cheap, lazy, and unsatisfying way to end the movie – and has been the subject of many an eye-roll since the movie was initially released.
Best: The Director Clearly Loves The Games
Regardless of your opinion of Silent Hill as a movie, there’s no doubt that director Christophe Gans really put his all into the movie. While most video game movies are designed by committee based on what studios think fans want, Silent Hill was clearly a passion project for Gans – who just so happens to be a die-hard fan of the franchise.
Having a clear understanding of the tone and atmosphere of the games, Gans reportedly had the video games booted up on set at all times, showing the cast and crew exactly what makes them so special. Gans’ passion and keen eye for detail really shines in the movie, standing as perhaps its most endearing quality.
Not The Best: It Has A Terrible Sequel
While a movie should by no means be judged by the quality of its various sub-par sequels, Silent Hill is the unfortunate exception to that rule. The movie’s abysmal follow-up, Silent Hill: Revelation, is not only amongst the worst video game movies ever made – and that’s really saying something – but retroactively makes 2006’s Silent Hill worse.
Lacking the vision and passion that director Christophe Gans brought to the franchise, Silent Hill: Revelation serves as a direct sequel to Silent Hill but fails to justify its own nonsensical existence. Acting as more of a gimmicky 3D cash-grab than a worthwhile follow-up to Silent Hill’s story, the movie is a truly miserable cinematic experience.