8Bit/Digi

These Dreams are Getting Even More Restless

Here we have an IP that refuses to stay dead, even on the movie side of the franchise, so the title of Return to Silent Hill (RTSH) makes complete sense. The problem is, as people often say, that you can’t go home again, which is about not chasing nostalgia or certain feelings, but can also mean that trying the same thing over again and expecting equal results is foolish. Love or hate it, on the games side, Silent Hill f tried something different, while this new film seemed to think it could coast off the superior source material, reusing a few tricks that worked in the original, and vibes. So buckle up, because this journey back to that familiar fog-covered town gets bumpy.

The original Silent Hill film was released in 2006 and directed by Christophe Gans, who was brought back to helm RTSH, so this was something of a homecoming (not that one) for him as well. That first movie he did was decently reviewed, even though it strayed heavily from the original game, but it certainly has its defenders and made several solid creative choices. It makes sense he thought doing that again might work. There was also Silent Hill: Revelation, which came out years later in 2012, done by a different team, even though it continued the story, but that movie was not received nearly as well. It wasn’t shocking that Gans wanted to return; he seems obsessed with the franchise, and it’s no surprise he’d want to tackle Silent Hill 2 as his source material, because it’s arguably (for most people) the best game in the series. What’s a little interesting is that he didn’t want to try to do more with the elements he added to and changed about the first story–well, sort of. See, he takes this other story, which isn’t connected to the first or third games, and tries to put his own twist on it again, similar to how he did with the 2006 entry. Sadly, it comes across like he’s trying to play his greatest hits (one, singular) for another attempt. It doesn’t work this time.

The plot of RTSH takes its story mostly from that second game, which sees James Sunderland, a down-on-his-luck artist (that’s new), receive a letter from his dead girlfriend (not wife), asking him to return to the small resort town of Silent Hill. It’s a great premise, spooky and psychological, before, much like the main character’s driving shenanigans, it hits the gas and forgets what it’s supposed to do with all that good content. Not only had Gans returned to the director’s chair, but he was also sharing in the writing duties this time, which may honestly have been a big part of the problem. RTSH starts immediately by showing us something that isn’t in the game, James’ first meeting with Mary Crane, where we get to see them connect, notice that spark of a relationship, and fall in love. Not the worst idea, but a sign of what’s to come.

See, SH2 is a powerhouse narrative, a story that elevates its gameplay and keeps players hooked while balancing out many of the themes and emotions in this horror setting, letting elements build and intensify. It does a lot of things its movie counterpart fails at.

It Can be Different, Because it’s a Loop Thing

When adapting or remaking material people know well, there are going to be changes. Writers or directors add their own ideas. Sometimes this is because the medium is so different, and other times it’s just to try to help with getting information across to the audience or adjusting the flow. These alterations happen for better, worse, or most likely, indifference. But here, I’ve never seen a movie take so much away from a story by adding in such small things. Somehow, in the broader scope, the film is somewhat stripped down, and yet, these deviations have made it more complicated. It has muddied the waters with ash and unnecessary connections, hurting the potency of the themes and robbing the descent into madness of its already flimsy subtlety. At some points, it’s quite difficult to tell what’s real, a dream, flashbacks, or maybe just a mental vision as James tries to work through his unchecked trauma, as elements of his psyche are brute forced into places they shouldn’t be to try and wrap the overall storytelling up neatly.

James Sunderland is not a good person. It’s easy to wonder if he is the game’s protagonist or antagonist; both seem like they could fit after several hours. The film has taken him from another average-looking everyman to someone a little younger, hipper, like a rock star whose moody grieving is somehow a ‘cool’ and endearing extension. RTSH wants its version of James to be a better person, more sympathetic, someone the audience can root for, and yet that seems to backfire when trying to incorporate elements from a more complex story. Although they show several scenes of him caring for Mary, I almost doubt it more. The movie fails to present any real cohesion in their relationship, leaving out the marriage, adding in the cult; there are just so many questions, and the chemistry doesn’t quite work either, but as much as the changes hurt here, I also blame this one on the script and timing.

There are so many aspects that simply feel thrown in here, made to fit because they were featured in the game or a part of what Gans felt made for a good SH story. The cult members and Mary’s father feel completely tacked on, along with whatever this drug was that a doctor said was sapping her free will. There’s the reveal for all of Mary’s names, like it was Mambo No. 5 or something, trying to neatly wrap all the female characters into one, making the events and interactions feel even less substantial.

The interrupting therapist keeps calling James, and we mostly see her through refracted visuals early on, giving her a mystique that isn’t really paid off. I’ve seen some theories that maybe she worked for the cult, attempting to keep James away, but that doesn’t come across much–more like wishful thinking. Then we have Eddie, arguably one of the more interesting figures from SH2, given just over two minutes of screen time. I seriously wonder how much material was potentially cut from the original script or left on the editing room floor, so many ideas left unanswered or unexplored. Someone obviously did their research, took the time for some complex references from many different games, but that’s less impressive when so much of it feels like they were just crammed in there for no reason, gumming up the gears of a good film. Maybe no one knew when to simply say ‘no,’ or the people working on it were too big of fans to realize they needed to pull back.

He Should Have Brought a Pillow

In this telling, Mary asks James to kill her, which may seem small, but changes so much and obliterates most of the nuance the game laid out. It feels like we’ve lost part of James’ reasoning for being here. This is the wrong idea; they made him more of a hero, but didn’t give us anything of value to replace that with, or enough reason to care. Then, seemingly to play into the ‘loop’ theory from the games (that James has been repeating this nightmare), he’s allowed to go back and make a different decision, changing their lives for the better by not taking Mary home. No cough or nose bleed at the end (just a little ominous static), so we assume this is the happiest ending we’ve ever seen in an SH property (not counting the joke ones). That happens right after we are teased with one of the game’s most depressing conclusions, just to make sure his undoing all of this feels like a massive waste of time in a failed attempt to send the crowd home happy.

I can’t blame the actors too much here. They do a fine job, but the script doesn’t support them, and there is little time to build chemistry. Some scenes feel like they should have been given another run, a few lines come across as flat, and props to Hannah Emily Anderson for playing two out of her three characters well, but I thought the gruff voice they gave Angela didn’t work. Evie Templeton, who played Laura in the SH2 remake, reprised her role here, but no one knew that when they were actually filming the movie because of an NDA she signed for the game. Talk about serendipity.

I also don’t think anyone can say this movie didn’t have decent music, as Akira Yamaoka, the composer who worked on most of the games, provided the soundtrack here. If the ride ever slowed down to let some of this sink in more, it would have been much more effective.

What doesn’t help is the visuals, a true whirlwind for the eyes. There are some masterful shots here with excellent blocking and choices for angles, not just the typical ‘under the grate’ views and use of backlighting, but positioning that makes some camera motions feel meaningful, while others look amateurish, or overly experimental and cliché, even in the realm of internet fan films. There are some great-looking set pieces, a few solid practical effects, dancers and contortionists for many of the monsters, but then there are horrible wigs, fake beards, and so much CGI. So many parts toward the end at the Lakeview Hotel are terrible, to the point that fans have claimed it looks worse than the 2006 film. Viewers have pointed out that it seems like the team took a lot of time rendering one of the fake butts, taking care to craft those curves precisely, but couldn’t be asked to do the same for some of the surfaces and flames. There are a few weird decisions as well, like some first-person view shots for the characters, and that awkward title reveal in the sky that made it look like a television episode. Gans was given less than half the budget of the first film, so I think that sheds light on some of these issues, but certainly not everything.

Recreating Silent Hill, Again

Many of the notable locations from the game appear in the movie, as well as the iconic monsters. These feel more dropped in randomly, like being on a tour at Halloween Horror Nights, than woven into the journey. The creatures aren’t as much lingering threats as they are trauma moments, popping up to look cool for a second, but they fight each other more than anything else. By the end, James is summoning the Red Pyramid (Thing) to clean up his light work. The nurses are there briefly, and much more brittle this time, with no real tension other than being a random mob and stabbing one important character. If it isn’t James or one of the Marys, good luck doing anything of importance.

The real villain of RTSH is the pacing. The movie feels like a speedrun of the game, cramming everything in, trying to tell even more of Mary’s story, while having no time to focus or stop for important lore. It actually felt somewhat like a music video with the pacing and editing, how much it jerks the audience around to key scenes, unable to wait for any sort of emotion or resolution. I can’t imagine someone watching this without knowing anything about the game. There is plenty they could put together, but in this film, it’s more like a collage or recap of a deeper, somber tale. At least those familiar with the source material can get more out of it, because that is so good it lifts up this weak imitation.

I don’t think it’s unfair to call this movie slightly delusional about what it thinks it’s accomplishing here, how it believes it handled the assignment, especially considering that Gans thinks he’s doing a good job according to the fans (though, don’t be shitheads and send him death threats either). I like Gans. It’s easy to see he’s passionate about the material and filmmaking, even if we don’t see it in the results – just check out his classic, Brotherhood of the Wolf – maybe he’ll do better with Fatal Frame (we can hope).

I’m not sure that this movie isn’t a little worse than Revelation, maybe better, but that’s a tough call. I also don’t like to be that guy who insists that new fans “just play the game,” but if there were ever a time. Whether it’s the original or the remake, playing through James’ story is a much better decision than returning to Silent Hill with this film.

Disclaimer: I bought my own ticket for this movie.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Return to Silent Hill

5

Ok

5.0/10

Pros

• Some visuals stand out, and certain set pieces are near-perfect recreations.
• The acting is decent, with a wonderful display from Hannah Emily Anderson.
• It makes most people want to play the game again.

Cons

• Amid some skillful shots, there is a lot of bad greenscreen and CGI.
• A passionate director stumbles with his old tricks.
• The story feels rushed, like there is no time to take anything in.
• Loses the potency, subtlety, and nuance of the source material.