Brand new on Netflix! And it's pretty darn good. These types of movies can be a hit or miss. The whole concept of home invasion and how individuals handle it along with the psychology of the killer and their motive/s. Many are out there, many have been successful, many have fallen short. This one however, personally speaking, brought something new to the table. We don't just have a helpless, superficial girl with large breasts running around like a moron as she is taunted and eventually killed by a madman. This one had depth, and is smartly done. We see this from the perspective of a deaf and mute woman, which makes it all the more chilling. She is down one sense, so how will she hear him coming? There is that perspective, then there is the attachment we get to this woman. An author, who lives alone, isolated, but is still upbeat and even sarcastic. The actress (Kate Siegel) who played this role did a great job of getting us to like her. So we really pray for her survival when the intruder becomes worryingly smart. That impulse a lot of viewers have when watching a horror movie, to scream at the screen and tell the characters to hurry up he is catching up to you, or he is behind you. This instinct is almost uncontrollable when you know she can't hear. He could be right behind her, talking, threatening, and there is no way she can hear him. From a filmography perspective we have some excellent shots and then a few unusual tools used, such as when Maddie is talking to herself, running the list of options she has. The director Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Before I Wake, Absentia) is gifted when it comes to suspenseful horror movies. He is slowly creating a resputation for himself for these types of movies. I have seen several of his movies so far, and have yet to not like one directed by this award-winning director. This movie forces us to comprehend how horrifying this situation would be. A killer, prowling outside your house. But you can't just call the police. You can't scream. And you can't hear him coming. Sometimes these movies can be a little dull and slow. But 'Hush' holds our focus throughout, as both the predator and victim attempt to outsmart each other. I can hear those few horror fans who love to hate, screaming: "It was terrible. There wasn't enough gore. It wasn't scary." We have to take this movie for the sub-genre in which it exists. And in that sub-genre it is pretty great. Love horror movies, and generally all things horror? Want a FREE bestselling, award-winning collection of short horror stories? Then subscribe to my free monthly horror newsletter! wesleythomashorrorauthor.weebly.com |