Silent House Review

Silent House- 3 stars out of 4


Silent House is an odd little horror film. It came out in March and did not do too well at the box office. It was noteworthy for receiving an "F" CinemaScore grade. I really wish that more people saw this film and gave it a chance. It's one of the more effective horror films to come out in a couple of years. The story follows Sarah, a young woman who can't quite remember her past. She, her father, and her uncle return to their old lake house to fix it up and sell it. However, things go awry rather quickly. The three become trapped in the house, and Sarah must find out what is happening to her. We follow Sarah for the entire eighty-five minutes of the film. What's interesting is that the directors, Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, have decided to make it so that the movie appears to be done in one long take. There are no cuts or no edits (there are a couple of moments where you can tell where they might have cut the film. It seems like it would've been impossible to do in one take). Therefore, with this creative decision, you cannot rely on cheap cuts and fancy special effects to scare you. The film utilizes silence and a creepy atmosphere to get under your skin. While the film is not extremely frightening, I felt a sense of nervousness and unease for a vast majority of the running time. The best thing about this film is Elizabeth Olsen. She is one of the greatest young actresses working right now. (Those who know me know how much I loved Martha Marcy May Marlene and Olsen's flawless, brave performance). She is able to convey fear and sadness with such ease. She gives a tremendous performance that is startlingly incredible. With another actress, this film could've been boring, but Olsen always makes the film interesting. One of the negatives of the film is the ending. While it isn't nearly as terrible as people said it was, it is strange, and it makes you really rethink what came before. Therefore, the ending is a little baffling, a little frustrating, and quite unoriginal. Despite some flaws, Silent House is a fresh horror film that will grip you entirely.