Elizabeth Olsen, with her slew of incredible film and television appearances, both indie and mainstream, is nothing short of iconic. And, as of yesterday, one of her more forgotten and underrated horror additions has found its home on Netflix nearly 15 years after its initial release.
Silent House, a remake of The Silent House, a Uruguayan horror film, stars Olsen, Adam Trese, and Eric Sheffer Stevens, and centers around a young woman named Sarah (Olsen), who is helping her father (Adam Trese) and uncle (Eric Sheffer Stevens) as they renovate the family home to get it ready to sell. The home has long sat vacant, with no electricity or other utilities, forcing them to use camping lanterns for light. One night, Sarah becomes separated from her family and trapped, not able to establish any contact with the outside world. Her nerves turn to true fear as she begins having hallucinations, and the lines between panic and reality blur.
It’s Flawed, But Richly Atmospheric
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Critics and audiences weren’t particularly kind to Silent House, though both groups acknowledged that Olsen’s performance was nothing short of incredible. Shaun Monro of What Culture says, “Elizabeth Olsen is perfectly committed to her role, yet once you get past the technical wizardry, it—like the Uruguayan original—quickly becomes tedious.” Daniel Green of Cinevue agrees, giving it 2 out of 5 stars, and saying, “Olsen’s performance is a worthy draw, yet even despite her best efforts, Silent House remains an intangible folly, caught between atmospheric chiller and inconsequential farce.”
One viewer on Reddit echoed critics’ sentiments, saying that even the original wasn’t particularly gripping, though it was better than the remake: “I’ve seen both. Honestly, I don’t remember enjoying either. Just didn’t click with me. What I do remember, though, is that the original was far superior. The US remake is very much ‘dumbed down’ and loses all of the tension of the original because it has to spell everything out for the audience. The mystery is what drives this film, and the US version has no faith in the audience to figure things out on their own. It’s a shame as Elizabeth Olsen puts in a great performance, but the film is lacking.”
All in all, the movie offers a tense atmosphere and a compelling performance, which might be enough to make it watch-worthy.
Did you enjoy Silent House? Let us know your thoughts about the movie in the comments, and then head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other film fans are saying.