HUSH
Blumhouse
2016 color
82 Mins.
Horror/Thriller
Kate Siegel and John Galagher Jr. star.
Written by kate Siegel and Mike Flanagan
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Rated R for language, violence and gore.
Simplistic really works best. And this soon to be horror classic is a perfect example of what works so well in the genre. What seems to be just another home invasion flick soon transforms into something truly memorable. The film centers on a young deaf, mute woman in her house in the middle of the woods (never a good setup). She's a novelist working on her latest book. She's all alone and there is some backstory given to her having problems with her ex. Soon after a small setup she soon finds herself targeted by a masked madman armed with a bow and arrow. I don't have to tell you what happens next, it's pretty obvious. But it's the way in which the material is approached and executed that makes it so effective. Maddie played by Kate is not a run of the mill victim she's smart and the way in which her handicap influences her to look at the world works in her advantage. The movie moves along quickly at only 82 minutes. But every moment is taut, edge of your seat and thrilling. Most brilliant of all is the way Maddie approaches situations. Because she's a novelist she imagines different outcomes to the same scenario and bases her decision on that. Also smartly the writers and director give her an inner voice as to help the audience see where she's going. The combination of silence and darkly beautiful cinematography adds to the proceedings giving the material an artistic heft not often seen in genre films. It all culminates to an unexpected, sweaty palm inducing finale. I'm not sure why this film didn't find a theatrical release. Through a good marketing campaign and word of mouth this would have been a sure fire hit. Lucky for us it's available on Netflix, enjoy! ****.5/5
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