Watch Silent House
- R
- 2012
- 1 hr 25 min
-
5.2 (24,904)
Silent House is a 2011 horror movie directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau. It stars Elizabeth Olsen, Adam Trese, and Eric Sheffer Stevens in lead roles. The film follows a young woman named Sarah who experiences a nightmarish sequence of events at an old, isolated family home. The film takes place entirely within the confines of the titular 'silent house'. Sarah and her father, John, are renovating the old family home in order to sell it, and Sarah is helping out when things start to feel strange. They hear footsteps upstairs, but when Sarah and her father check, they find no one there. When they start packing up to leave, the front door won't budge. The house seems to be closing in on them, trapping them inside.
As Sarah's world begins to unravel, she becomes increasingly paranoid and terrified. She starts seeing people and entities in the house, but she can't tell if they're real or if she's losing her mind. Her father, meanwhile, becomes increasingly distressed and paranoid himself. It's clear that the house is transforming into something menacing, and it intends to hurt them.
Silent House is a tense, well-crafted horror movie that relies heavily on atmosphere and psychological terror rather than cheap jump scares. The movie was shot using a unique technique that makes it seem as though it was all shot in one continuous take, which adds to the feeling of claustrophobia and unease.
The standout performance in the movie comes from Elizabeth Olsen, who sells the terror and paranoia of her character perfectly. It's a grueling role for any actor, as Sarah is on screen for the entire movie and experiences every kind of terror imaginable. Olsen handles it with aplomb, however, and proves herself as one of the up-and-coming leading ladies of the horror genre.
Adam Trese and Eric Sheffer Stevens do well as Sarah's father and uncle, respectively, though they're not given as much to work with as Olsen. Their characters feel underdeveloped at times, and it's hard to relate to them in the same way you can to Sarah. That's not necessarily a knock against the actors, but it does detract from the overall emotional impact of the film.
The movie's pacing is one of its greatest strengths. Director Chris Kentis does an excellent job of slowly ratcheting up the tension and making the audience feel as though they're right there with Sarah, trapped in the house. There are moments when the action feels like it's about to boil over, only for the tension to be ratcheted up a notch and take things in a completely different direction.
Silent House does have a couple of flaws, however. The twist ending may not work for everyone, and some viewers may find it too predictable or contrived. Additionally, some of the dialogue and delivery feels a bit wooden, as though the actors are reciting lines rather than having a natural conversation. These are minor quibbles, however, and the movie is still a solid entry in the horror genre.
Overall, Silent House is a well-crafted horror movie with a strong lead performance from Elizabeth Olsen. It's not perfect, but it's a tense and terrifying ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fans of atmospheric horror and psychological thrills should definitely give this one a watch.
Silent House is a 2012 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.2 and a MetaScore of 49.