As we’ve seen over the decades there can be good and bad video game adaptations, I would make the argument that Slient Hill falls solidly into the good adaptations. It’s creepy, incredibly eerie and you don’t have to have any real knowledge of the game to enjoy the film.

Using the game as its basis, the story follows Rose (Radha Mitchell) as she worries over her adopted daughter, Sharon (Jodelle Ferland), and her sleepwalking issues. She constantly mentions a town named Silent Hill, while in the throes of her sleep and Rose is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Ignoring the pleas of her husband, Christopher (Sean Bean), she takes off with Sharon in search of a forgotten and haunted town that may hold the answers.

But what they find is horrifying.

Following a car accident on the edge of town, Rose wakes to find Sharon gone, and a police officer, Cybil (Laurie Holden) attempting to arrest her. The pair find themselves united as they venture through the town, which seems to be under some strange darkness, a darkness that changes the very structure of reality, and brings forth terrifying creatures.

The hunt for Sharon leads them into confrontation not only with demonic darkness, but the darkness of the human heart as the survivors in the town live under the sway of their faith, and their devout dedication to their religious leader, Christabella (Alice Krige).

Christopher sets off in search of his missing wife and runs afoul of a police officer of his own, Thomas Gucci (Kim Coates).

I quite enjoyed this one, it’s moody, takes its time while not overstaying its welcome, and its visuals are arresting. Some of it is truly horrifying and some may find it excessively bloody, but I think it works. Sure some of the dialogue, and some performances aren’t so great in certain scenes, but I found it wonderfully spooky, and I was absolutely delighted to see Deborah Kara Unger show up, I’ve always enjoyed her performances.

The film makes great use of actual locations in Ontario, Canada, as well as New Brunswick, and some great sets and production design in Toronto studios.

Opinions on the film are mixed, it didn’t work for everyone. But obviously, it garnered enough attention to warrant a sequel, which should probably just be ignored and forgotten. Let this one stand on its own, or as seems to be a refrain I like to deliver on the regular, turn it into a limited series and really explore the spookiness and horror of the game.

Creepy fun.