The horror genre can be hit or miss, with most small cast features growing stale by the third act. But then there are those that understand the process, catering their story to the formula and giving audiences a unique and charged thrill ride that stirs nightmares from their conscience. Mike Flanagan’s Hush is the latter.
Relying heavily on the performance of Kate Siegel, Hush effortlessly utilizes its strengths, presenting to us a world without sound as we witness a deaf female writer, far removed from the outside world, become the stalked prey of a psychotic maniac who is looking to satisfy his appetite for a game of cat-and-mouse.
As the film begins, calm and composed, you find yourself drawn to Siegel’s Maddie. Through passive context clues, and a Skype conversation with her sister, you gain a wealth of backstory, learning that she has escaped the clutches of the city in an effort to pen her second fiction novel - a feat that has proven more challenging than expected.
While the dialogue during these early moments show minute signs of immaturity, Flanagan refuses to dwell on the issue, instead gearing up for the pivotal second act, which starts with a literal bang. It is here that we begin to noticeably shift between perspectives, occasionally finding ourselves living Maddie’s life as the noise around her is muted. The initial experience is surreal as you get an immediate insight into her mind, and understand how she can be clueless of the threat that lies just outside her door.
Though the ‘gimmick’ runs its course and grows a bit tiring by the third act, the small cast helps to bring a sense of easiness to the situation as Maddie’s options are heavily depleted by her inability to hear and adjust her movements as necessary. The story introduces our lone “new” post-invasion character at just the right moment, giving us a perfectly timed distraction from the hide-and-seek that has almost fully played its course. And thought the events that occur after that yearn for a bit of an imagination, you can’t help but be invested in Maddie’s against-all-odds fight for survival - especially considering that the film is presented almost entirely in “real time”.
Many will be frustrated as some of Maddie’s decisions hinge on the edge of ridiculous while others appear the work of pure genius. It is this swinging pendulum of intelligence that proves the film’s biggest hurdle; though no one can argue with the course of action our lead protagonist takes in her attempt to outwit her perpetrator - even if they do shake their head when Flanagan opts to showcase the possible, rather than the actual during one unusual scene. But for those that dig below the surface, there will be elements of surprise as the true power of the story lies within the details, stirring up breathless horror that you long to be over (but secretly pray for more).
With limited blood and a single setting Flanagan exploits our fear of the unknown - unlocking our inner fear by removing sound and giving us a memorable experience that will likely have us all thinking twice the next time we find ourselves home alone. He doesn’t over preform or overwork his story’s authentic progression, instead allowing his quartet of actors to capture the moment and present a heart-pounding thriller that goes beyond the genre clichés to give us a concise and daring experience.
*Hush is now streaming on Netflix
