For this installment of Bloody Disgusting’s The Silver Lining, we’ll be discussing M.J. Bassett’s Silent Hill: Revelation, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
Christophe Gans’ Silent Hill is single-handedly responsible for my obsession with horror. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been fascinated by spooky media, but I grew up as a bit of a scaredy-cat. In fact, when I first watched this videogame adaptation, I absolutely hated the experience. Not only was I terrified by Gans’ take on the nightmarish Otherworld, but I was also left with recurring nightmares about Pyramid Head and that damned siren noise.
Ironically, these lingering scares are what eventually motivated me to purchase a Silent Hill game in order to face my fears. That decision led to a long-lasting love-affair with both the Silent Hill franchise and horror in general. So when a follow-up to the 2006 film was announced, I was understandably stoked. Not only would this sequel adapt Silent Hill 3, the game that introduced me to the series, but it would also be written and directed by MJ Bassett, a fan of the franchise who had already helmed the Silent-Hill-influenced WWI flick, Deathwatch.
Even Bassett’s Solomon Kane adaptation had its fair share of moody scares, so I rushed to follow the director’s now-defunct blog which chronicled the making of Silent Hill: Revelation. From pre-production all the way to editing, MJ shared how her history with the games influenced her creative decisions while also posting behind-the-scenes photos and easter eggs for dedicated fans. Boasting a great cast, a passionate crew and eerily faithful visuals, the film looked extremely promising.
SO WHAT WENT WRONG?
Studio interference has become something of a recurring theme in these Silver Lining articles, and I’m afraid that Silent Hill: Revelation is no exception. From the project’s origins, producer Don Carmody claimed that the film was meant to be more accessible to general audiences, which is usually a bad sign for videogame adaptations. While the film made nearly three times its budget at the box office despite a mere 10% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, there’s no denying that it traded the first film’s atmospheric meditation on religion and parenthood for a more conventional experience.
Bassett has actually gone on record claiming that the writing and filming of Revelation was something of a collaborative effort, with the production turning into a classic case of “too many cooks” as the director struggled to maintain control of the picture. MJ has since taken responsibility for many of the film’s flaws, but it’s clear that the higher-ups weren’t exactly keen on letting her make the movie she had originally envisioned.
To make matters worse, the studio slashed the film’s budget to less than half of its predecessor’s while also demanding even more intense set-pieces, this time shot on extremely cumbersome 3D cameras. This insistence on flashy effects and costly CGI enhancements despite limited resources resulted in an extremely gimmicky sequel that somehow feels a lot smaller than the original film.
Of course, the biggest problem here is the messy story. On the surface, Revelation follows the general plot of Silent Hill 3, seeing a teenage Heather Mason suffer through vivid flashes of the hellish Otherworld and travelling to the titular town to discover her true heritage. Unfortunately, the flick can’t quite decide if it’s a true sequel to the 2006 film (which took several annoying liberties with the source material) or a proper adaptation of the third game in a long-running series. This lack of commitment results in a confused film that tries to please everybody but doesn’t really reach anyone.
Audience reactions actually got so bad that the director even apologized to fans after the film’s release, going so far as to delete her once-popular blog. In the years since, Bassett has revealed that she was also dissatisfied with the finished product but kept her opinions to herself for marketing reasons.
At the end of the day, not even the director could have saved this doomed sequel.
THE SILVER LINING
I’m not going to lie. I absolutely despised Revelation when I first saw it back in 2012. From the questionable production value to the story culminating in what amounts to a Silent-Hill-themed Pokémon battle, I remember walking away from the experience as if I had just seen someone spit on the grave of a loved one (which is an appropriate analogy, as Konami has basically buried the Silent Hill franchise). That being said, the movie has really grown on me over the years, and there are several reasons for that.
First and foremost, there’s no denying that MJ is a real fan of the games, and while studio interference and the lack of an appropriate budget might have sabotaged the intended experience, that genuine love of the franchise is still there. From the game-accurate Robbie the Rabbit appearances to Travis Grady’s unexpected cameo, it’s clear that the filmmakers were passionate about the source material. It’s just unfortunate that this passion wasn’t allowed to shine.
Even so, Silent Hill fans are sure to appreciate details like the surprisingly faithful recreations of Heather’s outfits and the game-accurate graffiti, with the infamous “save” symbol appearing several times throughout the movie. The monster designs are also really creative, with a few unique creatures not present in the original games. Hell, Claudia Wolf’s new monstrous form wouldn’t look out of place in a Hellraiser flick, and I appreciate how the movie doesn’t skimp out on gore.
It may be schlocky and kind of off-brand, but you’ve got to admit that the bloody chases and kills are fun in a midnight b-movie sort of way. Limbs are severed and cultists are gutted in three glorious dimensions, with Revelation finding its charms as an entertaining theme park attraction.
The cast is also surprisingly great, with Adelaide Clemens making for a lovable protagonist, absolutely nailing her double role as both Heather/Sharon and a grown-up Alessa Gillespie. Of course, it’s Carrie-Anne Moss who steals the show as the devilish Claudia Wolf, chewing up scenery and somehow managing to out-perform Malcom McDowell as an insane cultist. There’s even a pre-Game of Thrones Kit Harrington thrown in for good measure, trying his best to hide his British accent.
While I’m still holding out for a truly faithful Silent Hill adaptation (especially if it tackles the second or fourth games), the past decade has led me to appreciate this film as an entertaining misfire with a lot of potential. It may not quite live up to the source material or its predecessor, but I’d argue that Silent Hill: Revelation can be a fun time if you check your expectations in at the door. It might also get more people to revisit Bassett’s underrated Deathwatch, and that’s always a plus!
Watching a bad movie doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad experience. Even the worst films can boast a good idea or two, and that’s why we’re trying to look on the bright side with The Silver Lining, where we shine a light on the best parts of traditionally maligned horror flicks.
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