"Silent House" is a more psychological than slasher-type horror film set in an old lake house when Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) and her uncle and father, who are fixing up the house to sell it, are stalked through the house by an unseen perpetrator.
The film is shot in one-take format which creates kind of a "Blair Witch Project" type of experience. The audience can't see the stalker but rather sees Sarah's reactions as the camera is close on her face. This adds to the terror in some scenes for sure. I liked Olsen a lot in this movie because she really used the cinematography to her advantage by showing a lot of emotion through her face and body so the audience can feel the terror that we can't see.
I think the script does have some weaknesses to it because there's a hidden story happening that the audience really has to wait until the end to figure out through several twists. Thus, there's something more happening than appears but you've got to ride the film out to get there. While watching it I felt like giving up on it but after finishing the film I was able to look back and make more sense out of several scenes and scenarios. Knowing the twists makes the film better but you have to watch to get there. The ending itself is not completely satisfying, which is the case with other films Olsen has done.
I liked this movie but it requires an investment - watch the whole way through to really get it. C+
Thank you for posting this great review of Silent House, Jennifer. I went online and rented Silent House on Friday afternoon, shortly before leaving my office it DISH. It was downloaded to my Hopper DVR and ready to watch by the time I got home. I haven’t seen the original, but the idea of an entire movie done in one seamless take intrigued me. The single take method worked well for this film, but the story was lacking substance; you’re right about the unsatisfactory ending. Was the original better?
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