Silent House

Horror is one of those genres that really divides cinema audiences – like marmite, you either love it or you hate it. But whether you’re a ‘watch from behind your hands’ or a ‘laugh it off and pretend I’m not scared’ kind of viewer, you should get yourself down to WSC this Autumn to see the truly terrifying Silent House.

In the age of films like Paranormal Activity (where handheld, fly-on-the-wall style cameras are used to capture the action), Silent House provides a fresh take on the horror genre, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction by telling this true story in 85 minutes of real time. After agreeing to help her father and uncle clean up the family holiday home, Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) finds herself descending into a nightmarish reality from which she cannot wake. As her uncle leaves for the day, Sarah and her father are disrupted by loud noises coming from an upstairs room. Her father goes to investigate and leaves Sarah by herself – but it soon becomes clear she is not alone…

Silent House is a Hollywood re-make of the Uruguayan movie La Casa Muda and succeeds in maintaining the original film’s tension and creepy atmosphere, with the U.S. version being shot in one single take to make it feel as though you are watching the events as they unfold. Filming in this way meant a strong actress was required and Elizabeth Olsen does not disappoint, giving a very natural performance in the lead role and proving she may be set to follow in the footsteps of her famous older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Overall, Silent House has all the usual ‘jump out of your seat and spill your popcorn’ type moments, but is unique enough to make it stand out from the masses of horror films today – just make sure you don’t watch it alone!

Laura Davenport