A still from Return to Silent Hill. Photograph: Aleksander Letic
Return to Silent Hill Review – Another Middling Entry in the Video Game Horror Series
Director Christopher Gans makes a return to the haunted town franchise with Return to Silent Hill, but the film struggles to find its footing, resulting in a middling horror movie that fails to live up to its potential. Based on the Silent Hill 2 video game, this sequel attempts to revive a series that has garnered a cult following since the 2006 original, yet it lacks the narrative drive and emotional depth needed to captivate audiences.
A Loyal but Flawed Return to the Ash-Strewn Ghost Town
There is an admirable loyalty, perhaps even a poetic sense, in a filmmaker revisiting an unpromising movie series two decades after his initial effort became a minor hit. The Silent Hill horror film, inspired by the video game of the same name, has developed a dedicated fanbase over the years, but it is not regarded as a genre classic or a beloved franchise. With only a little-seen 2012 sequel preceding it, Return to Silent Hill brings back Gans to explore a new story set in the same eerie, ash-covered ghost town. Characters in these films often wander into obviously haunted or cursed locations, refusing to leave until it is too late, a theme that might resonate with Gans himself as he navigates this challenging project.
James and Mary: A Relationship Built on Shaky Foundations
The film follows James, portrayed by Jeremy Irvine, a hapless protagonist who falls in love with Mary, played by Hannah Emily Anderson, after a contrived traffic accident that unconvincingly prevents her from leaving home. Their relationship is depicted primarily through flashbacks, which initially adds a layer of doomy romantic intrigue absent from the first film. However, the movie skips over the development of their connection, leaving viewers to wonder what makes them so instantly compatible. James moves to Mary's oddball town as a painter, but the reasons for Mary's inability to leave remain unclear, undermining the emotional stakes.
A Protagonist Driven by Curiosity Rather Than Fear
James's journey into Silent Hill is motivated by a mysterious letter suggesting Mary is there, leading him to ignore all warning signs. His stubborn forward momentum is meant to reflect his obsessive dedication to Mary, but it often comes across as casual curiosity or obliviousness rather than genuine fear. This approach makes for a tricky horror proposition, as the lack of palpable terror diminishes the impact of the supernatural elements. When James encounters a mysterious woman who resembles Mary, the film misses opportunities for deeper psychological exploration, instead relying on surface-level scares.
Visuals and Pacing: Strengths and Weaknesses
Return to Silent Hill features visually distinct imagery, such as grotesque creatures that blend shaved rats with xenomorphs from Alien, and creative cinematography, like showing James's therapist in fractured-mirror fragments. These elements provide moments of cinematic flair, but they are not enough to compensate for the film's pacing issues. The narrative alternates between past and present, offering a stronger sense of purpose and mystery initially, but it devolves into James wandering through eerie landscapes without clear direction. The flashback material fails to establish a real-world baseline, making the entire experience feel like a ghostly hallucination that lessens the horror's impact.
Gans's Struggle with Gameplay Adaptation
Two decades later, Gans still seems unable to escape the open-ended confinement of video game gameplay or inject it with the forward momentum of a mission-driven story. The dream-world ambiguity of Silent Hill might be what draws him back, but it results in a film that feels disconnected and meandering. James serves as an avatar for the director, convinced there is substance in the haunted town despite all evidence to the contrary. This thematic parallel adds a meta-layer to the film, but it does not salvage the overall experience.
Conclusion: A Film That Leaves Viewers Wanting More
In the end, Return to Silent Hill is a visually intriguing but narratively lacking horror sequel that fails to build on its predecessors. With its release in cinemas on 23 January, it offers a glimpse into the haunted town for die-hard fans, but general audiences may find it a middling entry that does not justify the wait. Perhaps, as the film suggests, we will need to check back in another 20 years to see if the franchise can finally escape its cursed cycle.
