Sadly, there isn't much beyond the admittedly eerie cinematography and wandering camera. Following a young teen Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) around a house is not that exciting. But directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau manage to grab the most out of Olsen. I am really enjoying this Olsen sister. After her break out last year with Martha Marcy May Marlene, she is really showing how she can attempt to hold a film together.
She is really all the film has to stand on. As she wanders about the house checking noises you get tired. Turning on and off lights. Waving the lantern. Running about like a mad man. The style may be different, but the film is not. That is the deal breaker. Silent House distinguishes itself technically, not dramatically.
And then there's the ending. Oh that ending. I can practically see audiences throwing popcorn. Oh wait, that was me. After the film, my friend told me about how much worse the ending was to the original Silent House. That did sound awful. But that doesn't change the fact that the Silent House of 2012 has a bad ending.
It is a horrible ending because it changes the genre of the film without justifying itself. It turns from a haunted house tale to a psychological representation without reason or warning. This is beyond left field. You cannot expect anyone to follow your plot if it has no direction or reason. Watching the final minutes of Silent House is the equivalent of a dog staring at a noise. You twist your head, trying to comprehend the logic of the film. It has none.
Silent House is all style, no content. This is an oddity. Usually I am complaining about horror films that are all blood and guts with no style. This is the opposite. All we have to do now is find a horror with with style and substance. It seems I'm asking for a miracle. Olsen is game for any genre she is in, and I can't wait to see more of her. Just in a better film. Silent House is just that. A house with nothing to say.
