“Hush” Movie Review: A New Approach to Suspense and Horror

“Hush” takes the elements of suspense and horror and puts a new twist on them. Director Mike Flanagan uses silence instead of music and loud noises to scare and captivate his audience, and I assure you – it is most effective.

Plot Overview

Young, aspiring author Maddie lives by herself in the woods. She has neighbours but they are not very close – she is mostly isolated. She is also deaf, having lost her hearing to sickness when she was a kid.

One night, Maddie’s neighbour Sarah rushes to her door, banging on the glass and begging for Maddie to see her. Unable to hear, Maddie fails to notice Sarah at the door, and Sarah is stabbed by an unknown masked man, who soon realizes that Maddie can’t hear him.

He makes his presence known to Maddie quickly, and lets her know he’s about to have some fun with her. He proceeds to stalk her, taunt her, and laugh at her, knowing there is nothing she can do once he cuts her power and destroys her car.

We follow Maddie as she must make use of her other senses to escape this mad man, and survive the night.

My Thoughts

I think this movie is really brilliant. Horror fans are used to suspenseful music, and loud, jumpy noises to scare and exhilarate them, and this one does the exact opposite. While not completely silent, we do get many glimpses into Maddie’s world, where things go completely silent, effectively building incredible suspense with the constant unknown.

The movie consists of only five characters, of which Maddie and the unknown man are the focus. It’s really all about the two of them and their battle. I think this is a really neat approach – I mean how many movies do you see with only five characters? Not many, because I think a lot of people are scared to go that route, even when an oppourtunity presents itself. Not every movie could do this of course, but when it is possible I actually really like small casts like this. It gives the movie a very intimate feel and you get a lot of valuable insight into the characters and their lives and backstory.

Acting

I think the acting here is really, really, good. Very impressive performances by both Kate Siegel (Maddie) and John Gallagher Jr (masked killer). The killer has this ego and overconfidence about him that Gallagher portrays well. While the killer uses both this, and Maddie being deaf to his advantage, I think this part of him is ultimately his downfall as well. Maddie has intentionally isolated herself, living alone out in the woods, and while she enjoys her existence as much as she can, she has put herself in a vulnerable position. Maddie starts out as a quiet, passive, and very scared character. The situation she finds herself in though, forces her to bring herself out of this state of mind, and become strong and brave. Siegel shows us this transformation well, and you really believe it. You see Maddie grow and become stronger over the course of one single night.

The Silence

The silence that is used in this movie is not only a product of the characters condition. The director had a vision with this, and used it very intentionally. The killer obviously has an advantage over Maddie. He can both see and hear her, and she cannot hear him. Originally, director Mike Flanagan had wanted all or most of the movie to be silent. He was coaxed out of doing this when others presented him with the practical repercussions – it would never be completely silent when viewers were watching. Noises in their house, popcorn bags in the theater, whispers and talking, general movement. The delivery would never be perfect, and therefore sound and volume were necessary. However, he did want to use the silence that his main character lives in to combat the crutch most other films rely on: sound.

While music and sound can be very effective and done well, if that is all that’s scaring a viewer, or all that makes a movie interesting, it’s definitely lacking. A movie needs plot development, character depth, and a rich story line to truly be successful. Even hardcore slashers and gore fests need relatable characters and a story to follow if they want to be of any real value.

There are many moments where we see things from Maddie’s point of view, but also hear things from her perspective. Which in her case, is nothing. We see what she sees, but hear nothing. These parts of the movie are done so well, you’re really experiencing what she is. Complete and utter silence. The killer could be right behind her and she’d never know. He could be banging at her window, opening her door, literally doing anything. I think it’s these notions that become so real through the use of silence – that are so terrifying and make this movie such a success.

Conclusion

One intense night, complete isolation, two people fighting to the death, and a terrifying silence create a wonderful crescendo in “Hush.” This movie is really unique in it’s lack of characters and lack of sound as well! As an avid horror fan, this really was a breath of fresh air to the horror scene, in my opinion. Strong characters and excellent acting make it perfectly believable and the silence makes it perfectly terrifying. A must-see for fans of the thriller/horror genre for sure!

Want to Watch?

“Hush” is currently only available to watch on Netflix – but I will update with links if/when it ever becomes available to purchase or download!