Silent House’s draw is that it’s a horror film which captures the events that transpire in an old and creepy house in real time as they occur. There is no time lapse during the course of the film. It is all one single continuous shot, from start to finish. At least, that’s what the studio wants you to think.

Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) and her father and uncle are busy packing the remnants of their old summer home that they would visit years ago. Boxes litter the floor of practically every room and the windows have been boarded up with heavy sheets of plywood. Not long into packing the power goes out and strange noises start happening. Soon it becomes apparent that there is someone else inside the house and they don’t intend to let anyone leave.  Running for her life, Sarah must find a way to escape the haunting madness closing in on her.

Silent House is filmed in such a way that it appears to be a single continuous shot from beginning to end. The handheld camera never cuts away, or so it seems. There are moments where the camera will linger on a wall or duck behind a pile of boxes, removing any of the characters from the frame. Adept viewers will likely be able to notice where a possible cut could occur but for the average movie goer, it’s actually quite impressive. Making a film seem like an 85 minute shot is no easy feat, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, the impressive nature of Silent House ends there. As a result of the camera style, the film suffers greatly. There’s really no development in the story. Most of the time the camera is focused on Sarah as she runs around the house in a tight tank top screaming or cry. Or laughing. Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish the two with Elizabeth Olsen.

It’s sad because we know Olsen can act well. Just look at her on screen debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene for proof. In Silent House, she simply isn’t convincing as a frightened girl. The camera likes to get close up and capture her emotion as she hides in a corner or under a table. Her facial expressions are typically laughable as she tries too hard to act scared and the camera lingers for far too long.

Silent House tries something new with its cinematic approach but ultimately fails to deliver a frightening horror film. There’s never any buildup so when something scary does happen on screen, it’s over before you know it and all you see is Sarah running in fear. There are reasons films use cuts and multiple camera angles, and Silent House is a clear example of why they’re needed. 

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