As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the review embargo has lifted for Return to Silent Hill. Unfortunately for fans of the games, it doesn't sound like this movie will make up for its underwhelming predecessors, 2006's Silent Hill and 2012's Silent Hill: Revelation.
So far, there's not a positive verdict to be found. A Rotten Tomatoes score has been generated, and with 17 reviews counted, it has a lowly 6% as we write this. Silent Hill has 33%, while Silent Hill: Revelation sits at 8%.
Something tells us this one won't fare particularly well at the box office this weekend, despite the games having a dedicated fanbase.
Like Resident Evil, Silent Hill has proven a tough nut to crack on screen, and we can likely expect to see this horror franchise put back on the shelf after this threequel's release. That might be for the best based on what you're about to read.
The Guardian's review doesn't hold back, pointing out that, "James really does feel like an avatar for his director: convinced there’s something of substance here, ignoring all the warning signs to the contrary."
While Total Film praises "original creature designs worthy of Konami's legendary franchise," the site adds, "A confusing plot, mediocre visual effects, and over-the-top acting might make director Christophe Gans' newest Silent Hill adaptation just as divisive as his first attempt 20 years ago."
Slant also isn't kind to Gans, accusing him of "[taking] a look at one of the greatest horror stories ever told and [making] the worst possible decisions on how to adapt it into movie form."
"Return to Silent Hill isn’t the worst entry in this video game movie series," writes IGN, "but it fails to accomplish anything that the source material doesn’t do better."
AwardsWatch was similarly unimpressed, noting, "The game makes you feel emotionally and viscerally exhausted. The film just leaves you drained after seeing yet another video game property treated so haphazardly."
Daily Dead's review sums up all of the above with a scathing, "Choice scenes feel torn directly from the video game but with worse execution, and that’s a detriment. Between the poor performances, dismally edited storytelling, and fumbled fright-night entertainment, Return to Silent Hill is anything but a warm welcome home for horror movie and video game fans."
Return to Silent Hill follows James (Jeremy Irvine), a man broken after his relationship with the love of his life, Mary (Hannah Emily Anderson), ends. When a mysterious letter from her calls him back to Silent Hill, he finds a once-recognisable town transformed by an unknown evil.
While James desperately searches for Mary, he encounters terrifying creatures and begins to unravel the mystery of what happened to the town. But as he descends deeper into the darkness, the secrets he uncovers lead to a horrifying truth, and James finds himself struggling to hold on long enough to save his one true love.
Directed by Christophe Gans, the movie stars Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Emily Anderson, and Evie Templeton. Return to Silent Hill opens in theaters this weekend.