Key Takeaways
- Director Christophe Gans is eager to continue exploring the Silent Hill universe.
- Return to Silent Hill has received a mixed reception from critics and fans alike.
- Gans faced significant pressure while adapting the beloved video game franchise.
- The film currently holds a low rating on Rotten Tomatoes but may find a cult following like its predecessor.
Twenty years after first bringing Silent Hill to the big screen, director Christophe Gans has returned with Return to Silent Hill, a new installment loosely inspired by the franchise’s iconic second game. Unfortunately, the reception hasn’t been kind, with both critics and fans largely underwhelmed by the latest trip to the fog-shrouded town. Even so, Gans doesn’t appear discouraged, even saying he’d love to come back for a Return to Silent Hill sequel.
Christophe Gans Wants More Silent Hill
“If I have the opportunity, we’ll come back to ‘Silent Hill’ once more,” Gans told Variety. “I’m not looking at ‘Silent Hill’ only as a great video game. I’m looking at it as a piece of modern art. It has something really edgy and experimental. I will adapt another chapter because there are some that are extremely good, something very different from the first film, and now ‘Return to Silent Hill.’ I like this world, and I can see that plenty of people are thinking I’m doing a pretty good job.“
Adapting an iconic video game is challenging at the best of times, and Gans recalled actually receiving death threats when he tackled the first movie in 2006. “It was a big challenge to adapt correctly and respectfully a game which is considered a classic,” he said. “We know that the people who love video games are very passionate. I remember when I did the first film, I received plenty of death threats. People were saying, ‘If you mess up this one, we are going to find you.’ So I came onto the first film with great responsibility, and certainly even more with the second one. At the same time, it was important for me to imagine a movie that people who are not playing games can be interested in.“
As I write this, Return to Silent Hill stands at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 29% Popcornmeter rating. Not great, but the original film didn’t receive many positive reviews either and has since become something of a cult favourite.
We Were Mixed on Return to Silent Hill
Our own Tyler Nichols was a big fan of the original, and although he enjoyed the new movie, it wasn’t quite what he’d hoped for. “I’m not sure Return quite lands in the way that it intends to,” he wrote. “It’s a little cornier and cheaper than I would have liked. The acting can be a bit hammy, and it genuinely feels like I’m playing a video game at various points. But I still found myself invested in the story and enjoying James’ journey. This is certainly a lot better than Revelation, but it falls short of the 2006 film. Its messaging is a bit dark, and I’m not sure everything comes together in the end, but I enjoyed the journey itself.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
Also, be sure to watch our interviews with Christophe Gans, as well as stars Hannah Emily Anderson and Evie Templeton.
Should Return to Silent Hill get a sequel?
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