After their first feature film Open Water,Chris Kentis and Laura Lau have shown that they know how to create a unique story surrounding a single set. But what if they could pull off the perception that an entire film was drawn from a single take? Pretty impressive, right?
Well, that is exactly what they have done in their newest film, Silent House.
Starring fresh newcomer Elizabeth Olsen, Silent House tells the story of a young woman who finds herself trapped within her family's lake house, unable to make any contact with the outside world. Unusual events domino into one another, and Sarah quickly begins to feel as if she is being watched. With nowhere to turn, she must fend for herself as she fights for mere survival.
Adapted from a French film by the same name, Silent House is a fantastic story full of inner-horrors and tremendous staging"”that is, until the end. With one of the most climatic buildups, I couldn't help but be traumatized by the absurdly disappointing conclusion. It just didn't seem fair.
I refuse to punish the entire film for its final minutes, but you must be warned that you won't walk out happy about how the story ends up. A desperate plea that calls into question the very things you saw on the screen, the film is sure to stir up a little conversation as you question just how such an incident could occur.
But the more you think about it, the more you will realize that sewn throughout the entire film are clues as to the exact nature of the story. The final seconds might disappoint, but the first 82 minutes are well worth a watch.
