A TOWN'S TERRIBLE SECRET IS ABOUT TO REIGNITE A 30 YEAR OLD BATTLE WITH THE ULTIMATE EVIL WHEN A DESPERATE MOTHER COMES TOSILENT HILL INSEARCH OF HER MISSING DAUGHTER.
Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL Reviewed on 3/9/2014...
Like so many other video game based films if you don't play the game there is no reason to watch the movie. Fact is this film is a confusing boring mess.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Keith A. (Keefer522) Reviewed on 9/23/2013...
Based on a series of video games, "Silent Hill" sends a frantic mother into the dark heart of an abandoned West Virginia town where something horrible happened many years before, searching for her lost daughter. Along the way she encounters demons, zombies and all manner of other surreal weirdness.
This flick piles on the spooky atmosphere by the bucket full but the longer it goes on, the less sense it makes. The impressive visuals throughout (and a gory finale straight outa "Hellraiser") keep it from becoming a total slog.
Your mileage may vary depending on your familiarity with the video-game source material.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Norma B. from EL PASO, TX Reviewed on 1/19/2011...
It was not a bad movie to watch, but if you are not familiar with the game. it might be confusing, not that it follows the game but it helps. Actually this is more like a gap filler for the game. Only if you are a fan to this game might appreciate the movie other than that, you might not like it. i do recommend it.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jorge S. (jorgito2001) from WESLEY CHAPEL, FL Reviewed on 9/29/2009...
I really enjoyed this film, but it certainly isn't for everyone...but being a HUGE fan of the Silent Hill game series, I have to say this is one of the better & PROPER game-to-movie translations (much moreso then the "Matrix" style Resident Evil movies). Any fan of the first 3 games of the series should find something to like about this movie...and even if your not a fan of the games, something about an abandoned ghost town is always a good premise.
Interesting note: Silent Hill is based on the real life town in Pennsylvania of Centralia who has an underground coal fire still burning after 30+ years...interesting reading.
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Jason C. (JJC) from NEWARK, NJ Reviewed on 12/28/2007...
I like Christophe Gans, he's a very talented director...if any one hasn't seen "Brotherhood of the Wolf", check it out. "Silent Hill" is adapted from the popular Konami video game, in the vein of "Resident Evil." But it's just a tad bit more deeper.
The art direction is very eerie and spooky in itself. The cinematography is captivating. The screenplay is in good form by Roger Avary (probably best known as the man that co-wrote "Pulp Fiction" with Tarantino) and Gans uses all of this to his advantage.
After the continuous sleep walking episodes of Sharon (Jodelle Ferland), the young daughter of Rose Da Silva (Radha Mitchell), the decision is made by Rose to take Sharon to the place only mentioned in her restless dreams, Silent Hill, all this against the wishes of her husband (Sean Bean). However, the road to Silent Hill is anything but easy to access, and Rose creates a high speed chase between herself and a police officer (Laurie Holden) only to end in a crash for them both. When she wakes up, Sharon has disappeared and Rose is at the entrance to the deserted, dream-like town of Silent Hill. As Rose begins the search for her daughter, she does not realize the terror and mystery surrounding her. Rose is led on a blind search for her beloved daughter with the aid of her pursued police officer, and finding themselves getting more and more entwined into disturbing past of Silent Hill.
I enjoyed this very much...
Some really good female performances should be noted here. Radha Mitchell, from "Pitch Black" holds her own as the film's heroine. Laurie Holden as the tough, but very vulnerable police officer; Deborah Kara Unger in a rather bizarre turn as a disheveled resident of the town; Alice Krige (no stranger to this genre with "Ghost Story", "Sleepwalkers" and "Star Trek: First Contact") brings a chilling performance as one of the town's elders and of course Jodelle Ferland the centerpiece of the story, the child playing dual roles is very spooky and very talented.
Sean Bean is present and always in good form, although under-used.
"Silent Hill" is nicely done and gets creepy in moments. My hats off to Gans who serviced us with some more than decent horror of late.
5 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
My faith in the horror genre' was waning until...
PohlSE | Texas | 08/24/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Silent Hill is a movie based on a video game.
Still reading? Good, because you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that, unlike every other video game-based movie ever made, this is a great film! And it's a great film that fans of the game can enjoy as well as moviegoers who never heard of the game (or who have been offended by the drek that usually comes to the theaters in the guise of video game movies).
Silent Hill is a ghost town that was abandoned in the seventies because of an underground coal fire and now haunts the nightmares of a little girl. In an attempt to help her adoptive daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland), Rose (Radha Mitchell) takes her to Silent Hill and enters a nightmare-like alternate reality. Going any further into the plot would spoil the surprises in this film and the surprises are part of the fun.
The creatures that inhabit this alternate Silent Hill are very disturbing and nightmarish and they move in a very fluid way that is both familiar and strange at the same time. Seeing them in action (and, unlike most horror films, in full lighting) causes an almost immediate flight or fight reaction until the rational side of your brain remembers that it's only a movie.
Also on the plus side is the music of Silent Hill. Very creepy, very fitting, and, very good; at least half of the reason this film works so well is because the music and sound effects do so well in conveying the sense that something is moving just beyond your vision.
There is a downside to the film and it occurs almost dead center in the film. The beginning and ending of the movie is rife with psychological-based horror, and creatures dredged up from the depths of nightmares. But the middle is where we get an explanation for what's going on and it's a jarring change of pace that, thankfully, doesn't last too long.
But the rest of the film makes up for that one pacing stutter and the entire film comes together in a great conclusion that may or may not hint at a sequel.
Silent Hill also accomplished two very important things; it proves that a video game can be successfully translated into a great film, and it restored my faith in the horror genre' by giving me real chills without resorting to cheap tricks.
A must see!"
Differs from the rest
Robert | Budapest, Hungary | 08/20/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a fan of the Silent Hill games.
I read nothing but negative critics about this movie and I thought it might be a bad one... until I saw it. This one is an outstanding work. The story is unique and brilliant, as well as the acting, even the smallest parts are played by very talented actors. The director took care of all the details to make a perfect and scary movie about Silent Hill. Amazing. Can't wait to get the R2 version."
"I went with my mom to see this movie because surprisingly my mom really likes horror flicks and loves these kinds of movies. I thought it would be very boring but it turned out to be a very mindbending and one of the most scariest movie moments i've ever experienced, buy this dvd. The only part i did not really like was the shocking ending but other than that BUY IT."
SOLID horror movie
Chris Kennison | Jefferson City, Mo United States | 08/27/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Before I give my opinion of the movie, I just want to say that my wife HATES scary movies and especially horror movies. She sat down with me and watched this and was glued to the television, completely involved. More so than me. (I wanted to watch it at night when it was dark, but she won't... too scary.) About halfway through, I mentioned the cliffs, the streets that have been broken apart as if Silent Hill were cut off from the world and how it was just like the video game... cool. She said, "This was a video game?"
So, before I begin, this is an excellent film and you don't have to know the video game to enjoy it. In fact, it is recommended, because you'll know less about what is coming and what to expect.
Silent Hill is hands down the most successful Video game to Movie transfer to date, and I don't say that based on revenue. I say that based on quality of film and quality of entertainment.
Rose (Radha Mitchell) and Chris DaSilva (Sean Bean) have adopted a beautiful and charming little girl named Sharon (Jodelle Ferland). Knowing little of her past or where she came from, they are mystified and frustrated by the elaborate sleepwalking incidents and the unconscious mentioning of a mysterious ghost town named SILENT HILL. Getting nowhere with doctors or medication, Rose, in desperation, decides to bring Sharon to SILENT HILL and get to the bottom of her dreams.
SILENT HILL is a fantastic mix of movie elements. It's not just a horror movie. It is a mystery. It is a riddle. It's the story of a Mother and Father who'll do anything to save their adopted daughter from her torment. On top of that, it's a wonderful display of graphics, visual effects and creature creation.
As Officer Bennett (Laurie Holden) and Rose stare in amazement at the fact that the road they came in on has seemingly destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake, the blob-like armless man lumbers their way with its legs bowed inward. A fantastic build up of what's to come and what they're in for.
I won't give away the elements of the story that make this a fantastic viewing experience. Giving away the elements will destroy the fun of the mystery. I will say that the movie managed to stay true to the game, but also took it in a completely different direction. The creators of the film made some great choices with their creative liberties.
From the opening moments to the closing moments, SILENT HILL is intriguing and interesting. It never rests. It is solid from top to bottom. I'm not sure why I don't give it 5 stars, because I really liked it. I've only seen it once, but it is certainly right up there in my favorite collection of horror dvds."
Amazing, Silent Hill Game Adaptation!!
Jesse Herbert | Spring Hill, Florida | 09/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a fan of the Silent Hill games for some time now. I will even go as far to say that Silent Hill just may be the best video game series out right now (certainly the best survival horror series, and I love the RE games as well!). I have played through most of 1 and read the rest of the story, and I've beaten every other game in the series.
This movie is great because of many different reasons. The first, of course being the special effects. The director re-creates the "world" of Silent Hill masterfully and it helps that he's played the games. The monsters look like they came straight from the game (which some of them did)and are all connected to the overall story (much like in the games).
A second reason why this movie is so great is because if you've never played the games, you can still enjoy it as a great horror film. But if you are a Silent Hill fan, than you will be rewarded when watching this movie and you'll find yourself many times saying "I remember playing that" or "I remember fighting that monster" and playing the games also helps you understand the overall story.
And I have also found that most people who have watched this movie and give it "horrible" ratings just don't understand the story and that pisses them off. I'll explain the whole story here:
***SPOILERS AHEAD!!****
Ok, Now the story goes like this there are 3 dimensions of Silent Hill.
1-Regular Silent Hill, anyone can go there, exsists in the real world
2-Foggy Silent Hill, only those that have a secret in their past or have something to do with the towns history may go there, doesn't exsist in the real world
3-Hell Silent Hill, the ones who are in "Foggy Silent Hill" can go here, exsists when the foggy silent hill changes to a blood encrusted, rusty, hell hole.
Now Rose and her daughter(Sharon) did exsist in the Real World until they entered Silent Hill, they were then transported into "Foggy Silent Hill" because of the daughters connection to the Town. Once you enter the "Foggy Silent Hill" you can never totally leave. You're basically stuck in the alternate dimension of "Foggy Silent Hill", hence the end of the movie where Rose and the daughter are at the house but the husband can't see them and the world they're in is all foggy.
Now The alternate and foggy Silent Hill's are both created by Alessa after she is burned by the cult. She gets these powers from "The Reaper" (which some call Satan) because her hatred is so strong. The "Alternate Silent Hill" is actually Alessa's darkest nightmare being brought to life to exact revenge upon those who have done wrong to her. Now this is just a thin overview of how the story all ties together, I will now go into what the monsters in this movie symbolize.
--The monster which looks like a person trapped in a skin bag and shoots black acid out of its chest represents Alessas feeling of being trapped in her hideous body and the black acidic liquid represents Alessa lashing out at the world
--Pyramid Head has really no connection to Alessa directly, hes just a cool character from Silent Hill 2 and just symbolizes judgement.
--Crawling Man is the janitor who molested Alessa. He is forced to drag his pelvic region across the floor in torture and his flickering tongue represents his extreme perversion.
--The nurses represent Alessa being jealous of the nurses who took care of her and their beauty so she takes away their beautiful faces but you can still see that they were good looking because their bodies remained untouched.
--The gray children are actually the children who tortured Alessa while she was alive and Alessa punishes them by making them hideous to anyone who sees them
Now theres more to the story and if you have any questions about the plot of the movie or the games, feel free to e-mail me at jersey16@tampabay.rr.com and I will do my best to explain them for you."
Chad B. (abrnt1) from CABERY, IL 
Keith A. (Keefer522) 
Jorge S. (jorgito2001) from WESLEY CHAPEL, FL 
Jason C. (JJC) from NEWARK, NJ