"Silent House" Review

Every so often, a film comes around that changes the way you watch and think about movies.  Kentis and Lau’s independent horror-thriller Silent House doesn't take the world by storm, and it will likely be dismissed as another mundane entry in the home invasion sub-genre that everyone loves to hate.

But for me, Silent House pushes the boundaries of what I ever thought could be accomplished by a horror movie. It’s a remake of a Uruguayan film called La Casa Muda, and it’s about a young woman who finds herself trapped in her family’s lake house as ominous events begin to transpire both in and around the house. I didn't find it as mind-numbingly terrifying as Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, but there is no denying that Silent House is creepy thanks to a few unique factors.

First of all, the film takes place over roughly 85 minutes in real time. That means all of the events transpire over the exact same amount of time in the viewer’s world as they do in the film.  Secondly, Silent House appears to be presented as one single take, allowing viewers to witness firsthand the genesis of the main character’s madness, something that I loudly and proudly applaud the directors for.  It’s a technique that few have attempted and even less have pulled off, but it works for me here. I thought it was cool to see the main character undergo her change in real time. It puts the viewer right alongside her throughout, and it’s easy to find yourself eventually feeling as insane as she is.  There's also some eerily droning musical score that molds well with the subdued lighting (or lack thereof) to create an unsettling haunted-house atmosphere.  

I also have to give credit to the beautiful Elizabeth Olsen for her stellar performance in the lead role. Who knew the younger sister of Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen could carry a film with such skill? You’d think she was an established thespian who’s been in the acting game for years. In Silent House, Ms. Olsen shows us the dread and genesis of a madwoman in real time.  It’s by her restrained portrayal of the emotional roller-coaster inside the character that keeps us emotionally invested from beginning to end.   

But like any home, Silent House is not without its flaws.  Our main character Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) is at the lake house with her uncle and father to clean up the place in an attempt to sell it. I couldn't believe that during the entire time she was terrorized, the seemingly defenseless Sarah only maybe once yells for help.  Also, being that the film captures all the events firsthand in real time, there is a lot of hand-held camera use.  This isn't a found-footage picture like Paranormal Activity, but the cinematographer’s unsteady hand gets annoying in a few scenes. The payoff at the end feels like somewhat of a letdown as well. The twist is pretty cool, but I felt like nothing is really resolved by the time the credits roll.

Maybe that’s the point. Maybe Silent House is just a character study on how a girl is shaped by her past as well as current traumatic events to become someone different from who she starts off as being. It might take a second or third viewing to decide. Either way, it's quite unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Catch Silent House streaming on Netflix and form your own opinion.

 3 OF 4 STARS