The original The Silent House was a 2010 Spanish horror movie about a girl and her father restoring a house. As time goes on a horrible secret begins to unfold and horror ensues. Its greatest achievement was the amazing feat of being shot in one solid shot. No cuts, fades, just a single shot. I've yet to see it, so I can't say if it was good or bad. So how does the American remake handle this technical feat? Is it just another "meh" American remake or does it strike it's own chord?
Let me first say that the single shot thing is done very well here. I sorta question if it actually was one continuous shot or not because there are certain parts in the movie where there is a lot of quick, shaky camera movement (good to splice in an edit) and at one point all light is lost (need I explain). But it's done so well that after a little bit of watching the movie, it struck me... there were no cuts. I couldn't remember anything about the movie before, especially the lack of cuts, but just as I was watching it it dawned on me. The only negative thing about it is that after I had realized that the movie was shot with this in mind, I couldn't take my mind off of it. I ended up paying a little to much attention on whether or not they cut the movie.
Despite the one shot, its actually well shot too. There are plenty of tight, claustrophobic shots that really make the house close in on you. The angles are all well chosen, the lighting is great for a haunted house flick, and all in all it looks fantastic.
The acting suffers a little. I guess with just a single take to do everything, its sorta hard to get the absolute best performances out of everyone. But they do a good job for the most part, with only a few bits of dialogue coming off as odd or wooden. But when a scene really needs it, they don't disappoint. The fear is rather genuine and the panic believable.
The story... well I really wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. It really must be seen to get, but it goes from your typical haunting, to a little home invasionish and then back around to something different all together. It revolves around a girl, her father, and her uncle. They are restoring an old house the family used as a summer get away with the intent of selling it. Her uncle leaves and as her father is downstairs working on a leak, she hears something upstairs. Tension, horror, revelations... Its a good story, well done, albeit a tad confusing until the big reveal.
Once again, the camera work is great. The tight corridors, the constant flow of movement, the overall dreadful and claustrophobic feel. Its done so well and when you least expect it it throws more at you. There is a part that involves pitch black and a Polaroid camera, genius. The chase sequences are amazing. You can feel the breath on the back of your neck or as the girl hides, horror piles on as we hear each step coming closer. Each door opening. The sound of dragging. Amazing.
My only real problem with the movie was pacing. It would finally build up enough tension, start kicking into gear, and then, putter out. It was a big tease. Revving itself up and then letting that quickly drop away and spending to long with nothing between these little bursts. If those moments blended together a little more often, the movie would be perfect.
As it is, Silent House is a great movie. Its a little sluggish at times, but when it finally ramps it up, you're in for a ride. Just tap your feet or drum on stuff during the slow bits and I'm sure you'll be fine. Check it out if you want to see something very atmospheric and different. Its good.
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