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Games and films have and always will have a complicated relationship. There have been improvements for sure; Sonic the Hedgehog, The Last of Us, and my personal favorite, Detention. Still, they remain a niche and stigmatized product. In the early 2000s, the Resident Evil films were certainly not winning over any critics, but the money was talking. Konami decided to shoot its shot and give us the Silent Hill film in 2006. To no one’s surprise, critics weren’t liking it, but the money was raking in. Did it become a huge franchise like its competitor Resident Evil? Hell to the no. While the first one did well enough, the sequel was a total disaster. Surprisingly, even with the tarnished legacy that was Silent Hill: Revelations, a decade later we are blessed with the ingeniously titled Return to Silent Hill. Hopes were high, this is based on the pinnacle of the series,Silent Hill 2. I won’t even try to keep you in suspense, it’s a dumpster fire. But here’s the caveat to all this, I absolutely love this series. To me, this trilogy is the ultimate novelty, even with its terrible acting, story decisions, and nonsensicalness. Come along with me and I’ll tell you all the why I love the Silent Hill movies and reasons this slop of a series is near and dear to my heart.
(Purchase Silent Hill f for Playstation 5)
The Visuals
If there is one place this series goes above and beyond, it’s the aesthetics and designs. For all its faults in terms of narrative, the movies look just like they are supposed to. The iconic rusted chain-link fences that sprawl throughout the town, almost acting like the blood vessels connecting the town to the vital organs that are all the dilapidated buildings and structures. I could stare into this world for hours. I speak no hyperbole when I say every still in this film is worthy of being framed and hung on your wall.
(Buy Silent Hill 2 Remake for PS5)
Character Designs
As good as CGI can be, I will always prefer practical effects. The makeup and costume design for these films are top notch, and the actors portraying them really land the feel of how they behave and move. The most prominent example is the brilliant decision to cast ballerinas as the nurses in the original film. Sure, the films may deviate from the source material a bit, but all the characters and monsters being portrayed are pretty spot on.
Hokey Acting
While nowhere near as bad as Resident Evil, the voice-over work in Silent Hill was pretty awkward and downright hilarious at times. The performances in these films are absolutely dreadful, and I’m ALL for it. Growing up with corny horror films, cheesy acting is a must. What’s interesting to note, in a strange way, it actually makes it more accurate to the source material. It’s a friendly reminder these really aren’t meant to be taken super seriously.
Dumb Fun
These films are not high art; they are bottom-of-the-barrel monster films you watch on Tubi or the Syfy channel. Think of them like a haunted funhouse where you just see something cool room to room. The movies aren’t particularly long, they’re never boring, and are surprisingly bingeable. We can totally see these on a lineup on a rainy day alongside other entertainingly bad video game adaptations like House of the Dead or Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Not every movie needs to be Titanic or There Will Be Blood. Sometimes all you need is an hour-and-a-half schlock fest where you can turn your brain off for a bit and just have a good time.
What Next?
(Maybe someday)
Personally, I would absolutely love to see an adaptation of Silent Hill 4 (my personal favorite) or even an entirely original story with new characters, new monsters, and new origins. Silent Hill is just abstract and flexible enough where the sky is the limit with creative opportunity. All the ingredients are here for a really solid anthology film series where each narrative acts as a standalone story. I eagerly await what other slop the future holds for us. Whether any future films are legitimately good or hilariously bad, I’ll be the first one in line for a ticket.
https://opencritic.com/game/16791/silent-hill-2
