The Film Thugs Movie Show

Based on the recent Uruguayan film La Casa Muda, filmmakers Chris Kentis and Laura Lau bring us Silent House. The story revolves around a young woman, her father and uncle cleaning out her childhood country home in preparation to sell. Employ the device of “damned squatters” into the script and you now have reasons for boarded up windows, electricity on the fritz, and “Lock all the doors behind you, missy! Those dammed squatters could be dangerous!” Uh huh, I didn’t buy it either. Much like the pair’s previous work Open Water, this film is one big conceptual gimmick. No water or sharks this time just 88 minutes of what is constructed to appear as one continuous shot. Master filmmaker and Film Thugs patron saint Alfred Hitchcock used this same technique in Rope. I served with Rope, I knew Rope, Rope was a friend of mine. Silent House, you're no Rope. This flick doesn’t waste much time getting started or getting dark either. The uncle goes into town, a bump is heard upstairs, Dad gets a bump in the head and we’re off to the races. Our girl, portrayed quite well here by Elisabeth Olsen (yes, sister to the same Olsen’s), is then stalked about the darkening house by who the hell knows to partially good effect until we all hit our collective heads on the door frame of explanations - big dumb explanations. My major complaint lies not with the acting in Silent House but rather with its execution. The other performances are serviceable and Olsen is really quite compelling in her role. My bitch is with the lack of scares. This is essentially a “haunted” house walkthrough. Give the audience some gags! If you want to enigmatically weave a horrifying story of childhood trauma, there is always Lifetime Movie Network. You’ve got 88 minutes of device to spook the hell out the ticket holders to the point that they run out to tell their friends what a great and scary time they all had. Hopefully, those folks will then fill the next showing’s seats. This picture does not get the job done. The movie does have a few moments but nothing that will keep anyone talking or any more money coming in. Silent House believes itself to be smart and scary but ultimately it is neither. - Clarkson Campbell