Review: http://www.worldofkj.com/article.php?i=657

This film was quite fantastic. Elizabeth Olsen is aces and the horror/intensity of it all was great. The twist worked great as well. ***1/2

Hiring a professional cinematographer would've been a good start.

Really liked it. Was impressed by the way it was made and Elizabeth Olsen was incredible, especially when you consider how difficult it would be to stay on your game with limited cuts (I personally didn't notice any cuts but I heard there are a couple). Also really dug the twist which I thought elevated the movie. I think it's being unfairly bashed by audiences but horror movie audiences are so finicky. It's an interesting psychological film made even better by Olsen's performance.

B/B+

When the entire screen goes black, chances are there's a cut.

I suppose, but I didn't really notice otherwise.

There are also moments where the camera will linger on the wallpaper for a beat or two, presumably to disguise a cut.

One concept audiences still seem to not understand (and it seems to be a main criticism with this film) is that yes the camera will shake in certain situations. It is not a bad technique and a lot of time adds realism to a situation. I didn't find it a distraction at all in this film.

I don't have a problem with shaky cam. I have a problem with the cinematographer apparently being unable to keep things in frame and in focus.

I laugh at the user reviews that say Olsen was either...

- found on the street
- has terrible acting skills
- will never be in another film because of this one

There's no such thing as an 88 minute roll of film or good enough digital card for 88 continuous minutes (A digital camera will auto shut down.) Even a fast turn of the camera can disguise a cut.

I'm not sure if I'm going to check this one out in theaters. I doesn't seem scary, and the continuous take feels like it should have been part of a better premise.

Yeah, they're morons. Wouldn't know good acting if it bit them in the ass.

F+

One of the worst movies I have saw in a while, started off very slow and just never got into it. Although Olsen was very good!

This movie is a piece of crap and the ending is one of the worst ever. I dont even feel like typing about this shitty film anymore.

seen not saw

I don't get how this film is crap and has one of the worst endings ever. Did you watch the first 80 minutes of the film? Cuz the ending makes sense.

It's not the WORST ENDING EVER OH MY GOD, but it is banal and poorly presented (the bad acting of the father doesn't help in this regard). And it undercuts the immediacy and appeal of the single-shot presentation.

What saves the movie is how scary and involving everything else is.

The father and uncle were not great, but I thought they were serviceable. Not so bad that it took me out of the movie.

Silent House showcases both the possibilities and inherent limitations of a single take movie. There's a nice contrast between claustrophobia and intimacy as the camera crouches next to Elizabeth Olsen's terrified face, but the real-time format also means there's a lot of dead space and as trixster pointed out, compositional flaws. At times Silent House does manage to break through the inherent ugliness of its digital handheld cage and approaches the sublime, as when the camera follows the heroine as she races through a field at sunset.

Now entering spoiler territory...

Some people criticized the ending but I thought the final stretch was very rewarding precisely because of the subjective nature of the camera. In fact, I'd argue that the reveal of the dishonest perspective both justified the visually problematic single-take/real time aesthetic and allowed the film to earn it's twist ending.

C+

I'm thinking about seeing this on Thursday because it's going to be the last day it's playing and I really want to see Olsen's performance, but I just can't get excited for it after all of the lukewarm things that have been said.

Anyone who didn't see the twist that it was all her/all in her head from the moment shit starts to happen, is simply a fucking moron. This movie does not deliver one surprise. It also manages to not have one scare. It's not even creepy. Dim lighting does not make something scary or creepy.

I spent 80 minutes waiting for something of interest to happen outside of Elizabeth Olsen's cleavage and nothing wound up happening.

* (D) - Isn't worse only because of Elizabeth Olsen.