(2011) **1/2 Twenty-something Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen, yep that Olsen) meets up with her father and uncle to help clean up a summer home that she has not visited since she was a child. Their goal is to make the house presentable in order to sell it. The messy house is boarded up, the doors are dead-bolted, and with no electricity or working phones the trio prepare for an uncomfortable night. Shortly after falling asleep, Sarah is awoken by strange noises coming from upstairs. After waking her father up the two begin to investigate and soon realize that they are in grave danger. After her father and uncle seem to disappear we follow Sarah as she makes her way around the claustrophobic dwelling ultimately discovering the unspoken secrets of the house.
The Silent House is a remake of the Spanish film ‘La Casa Muda’ (2010). Where the original created chills through subtly, as Sarah slowly discovers the secrets of the house, the American remake, not surprisingly, spells everything out fairly quickly with “scares” that are telegraphed well in advance. It is possible that because I watched the original first that some of the film’s potency was diluted for me (i.e. I pretty much knew what was going to happen), yet La Casa Muda remains a much stronger vehicle with a better cast and a mystery that is revealed in a much more subtle manner. Skip the remake and watch the original.
0 comments:
Post a Comment