Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

Number Rolled: 88

Movie Name/Year: Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

Genre: Horror

Length: 94 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Michael J. Bassett

Writer: Michael J. Bassett, Laurent Hadida, Konami

Actors: Adelaide Clemens, Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Malcolm McDowell, Martin Donovan, Deborah Kara Unger, Roberto Campanella, Erin Pitt, Peter Outerbridge, Heather Marks

Heather is plagued by nightmares of some place called, “Silent Hill.” That would be bad enough but, on top of that, she and her father are on the run from the police. It’s a bad situation as she tries to grasp control of the hallucinations and feeling of instability that comes from constantly moving around. When her father is kidnapped, she befriends a boy named Vincent who agrees to help her find him; even if it means going to the mysterious Silent Hill.

I would like to preface this by saying that I am not going to judge this movie based on how well it may or may not have stood up to the games. Although I enjoy watching the horror genre, and even enjoy the actual arcade games, I do not divulge in the console versions. I’ll feed quarters to a House of the Dead machine but give it to me on a console and I suddenly have no interest. It’s just a different dynamic. In other words, I’ve never played the games. I’ve watched other people play parts of them, I just don’t have the first hand knowledge of how well the two forms of the story stand up next to each other.

That being said, I’m still in love with the storyline from what I’ve seen and heard and, even if the movie didn’t stick to it word for word, it certainly stuck to the spirit of it.

Horror is easy. Anyone can create your basic horror movie; add a bad guy, some blood, a whole lot of running and something innocent to compare it to. What makes a horror movie impressive is the level of suspense a writer or director can elicit in their audience. Both Silent Hill films master that idea.

I’d love to be able to mix up my reviews a little a give you guys a bad movie to read about, but I’m on a lucky streak with my dice rolls. For a few weeks now I’ve been getting some really good movies. Even the ones that are “supposed” to be bad, according to the critics, have been outstanding. “Silent Hill: Revelation” is one of those movies that was supposed to be bad but just wasn’t.

I do get what some of the critics were saying this time. There were some things that were a bit confusing or that left out anyone that hadn’t played the game. Some of the storyline also seems a bit rushed. I can’t argue either of those facts. When my best friend and I are watching a movie, we turn into the robots from Mystery Science Theater 3000, and we were saying some of the same things before I ever looked up the other reviews. Still, as I watched this rushed story with confusing factors, I was still completely entertained and thoroughly freaked out by what was supposed to freak me out.

I understand that a hardcore horror-genre gamer might be infuriated with the way the Silent Hill franchise was portrayed, but I’m not that kind of gamer. I enjoyed it. Still, I won’t be sleeping until the sun is safely shining through my window.

Overall Opinion – 4/5

P.S. Adelaide Clemens reminds me of a young Michelle Williams.

P.P.S. Obviously, based on the video game franchise of “Silent Hill.”

P.P.S.S. There’s a VERY small scene after the credits. I didn’t think it was worth it, but you should know it was there.