“Silent House” is an edgy, no-holds-barred thriller loaded with intense scares and plenty of suspense.
Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) returns with her father, John (Adam Trese), and uncle, Peter (Eric Sheffer Stevens), to the home she grew up in. The family members are working to refurbish her childhood home in hopes of selling it, but Sarah is there to pack up her childhood items and leave. The electricity is out due to rats chewing through wires and a majority of the windows have been boarded up. Even during the daylight the house is dark.
Sophia (Julia Taylor Ross) arrives and tells Sarah that the two used to be childhood friends. Sarah has no recollection of the girl, but she makes plans with Sophia as she mentions that she does not remember much from her childhood. The situation turns grim as Sarah’s uncle leaves and her father gets badly injured. Sarah then learns she is trapped in the house where everything has suddenly fallen silent, but she is not alone.
With the idea borrowed from a Uruguayan film under the same name, “Silent House” was shot in a way to seem as if it was shot in one take. The seamless flow and movement give the film the personal experience of being shot with a hand-held camera without the motion sickness.
Olsen’s acting is flawless a majority of the film. Her panic feels completely genuine, and her hysterics are dead on. Everything down to her facial expressions and movements come across as an incredibly real display of human reaction.
The film weaves an intricate story that makes what is really going on open for interpretation.
The ending may seem predictable, but a plot twist at the end that is halfway given away or guessed is still surprising.
“Silent House” is intense, mysterious and terrifying. The film effortlessly works its way under your skin and right onto your nerves.
“Silent House” is rated R for disturbing violent content and terror.
