The movie opens up with a seemingly peaceful house out in the middle of nowhere. (Hm, how original for a thriller movie.) The lead, Sara (Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene“) walks into the frame about to accompany her loving father (Adam Trese, “Zodiac”) and questionably attractive, young-aged uncle (Eric Sheffer Stevens, “Julie and Julia“) inside the secluded, yet somewhat welcoming, home.
The anticipation of a scary movie is one of the best parts, the gritty feeling that forms at the bottoms of one’s throat and the jump follows. However, “Silent House” was missing the best parts of a horror film. Each time the camera stumbles upon a mirror and slowly creeps around the corner, it is the biggest joke because the accompanying acting is horrible. Every scene is ridiculously overdone and it can be said with honesty that laughter at how outrageously bad this movie was more prevalent than any shriek in that theater. Maybe it was a tough crowd, but somehow I doubt that.
With a total of six different actors and actresses – two of those being nameless and one being an illusion – the plot was seriously lacking. The characters can only stalk around an empty house for so long awaiting their inevitable fate before the audience loses interest.
But the movie continues and once it is believed that this movie is done for, there is a twist. The twist that comes after 3 quarters of the way through is the only contributing factor that maybe makes this movie interesting. Figuring out the reasoning behind the torture was the only thing that kept things slightly interest.
When the credits finally roll, the audience will, in fact, sit there and stare at the screen and ask themselves if they really paid over eight dollars to see an incredibly awful, short film.
If you choose to brave through the movie, hopefully you have good company present to make the one hour and twenty eight minutes tolerable, and maybe somewhat intriguing; it’s the only chance for enjoyment.
By Sonya Francis
