Mike LeMar
My rating's a 4.5. In addition to what everyone's said about the idiocy of going back into the house when the guy picks her up late in the movie, the twist is fabulous except for the fact that the audience had no way of guessing it because there are never any hints given. The movie starts right up and gets going without us even knowing these people until the twist comes at the end. Some background for a twist like this has to be given. Also, once they're stupidly back in the house, it's so horror-typical and annoying that he doesn't answer when she keeps calling for him and then suddenly appears and goes, "I'm right here!" like he's annoyed.
Zonche
Let's get one thing straight. I have seen tons of horrible, trashy and stupid horror movies in my life. This movie has got to be the worst of them all. I am almost offended by how stupid and pointless it was. It was so horrible that I had to write a review about how bad it is. The plot is less than basic. The acting and directing make no sense (I am scared so why don't I hide from a murderer/stranger under a huge table cuz no one in the world can see me there, oh and the creepy basement is an amazing hiding spot too).Not one scary scene. ONE. Predictable, lazy and dare I say it one more time - pointless.The only thing that would have made me give it a two star was if one of the male stars had went shirtless at some point. Nope. Not even that. Whoever gave this movie more than 2 stars is either on drugs and had a blast or was part of the production. Please skip this movie, I beg you. I wish I had.
Scott LeBrun
A remake of the Uruguayan film "La Casa Muda", this film stars Elizabeth Olsen as Sarah, a young woman helping her father John (Adam Trese) and uncle Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens) fix up their old lakeside family home so it can be sold. The trouble is, it's currently become a rather spooky place what with the electricity out and the house being rather isolated. Sarah begins to suspect the presence of malevolent individuals who are out to stalk and terrorize her and her family."Silent House" is elevated to some degree by decent acting. Olsen certainly can play scared very, very well. And the directors, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau ("Open Water"), copy the template used by the original film (as well as the grandfather of this sort of thing, Alfred Hitchcocks' "Rope") in trying to get the whole thing done in one continuous take. They build considerable suspense with their minimal lighting and less is more approach. There *is* some gore, but not a whole lot of it. Kentis and Lau also try to put roadblocks in Sarahs' path by making it hard to just walk out the door, and by ensuring that help won't be readily available. The tension is undeniable.Unfortunately, things do downhill in the final quarter hour or so with a reveal and resolution that we've seen far too many times by this point for it to be that effective. The actors do their best to sell it, but one can't help but feel some disappointment. This ends up making the film on the routine side, along with the overused device of having characters who are supposedly on the same side, scaring each other.Despite the filmmakers' best efforts, "Silent House" is merely okay.Six out of 10.
FilmFanDaveB
I don't usually write reviews here - but I was surprised at the number of negative comments about this film. I allowed the low rating to affect my judgement, and it was about 30 minutes into the film before I realised it was pretty good. "The technique is poor / excessive". Hmmm. The technique allows full- on jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and long periods of almost dreamlike tension. Don't you like that?"You don't know enough about the people beforehand". No, it's a film. You find out about the characters by watching it."It's predictable". Wow, really? I didn't see what was coming. As the story progressed, I was wondering about the nature of the attacker - real? imaginary? supernatural? - it was reminiscent of the French film "Ils". IMHO - the acting is good, there are bits that made me jump, and the film makes some serious points; and I was left wondering what some of the reviewers on here are looking for in a "scary movie".
AD
