Hush (2016)
2016
87 Minutes
A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home.
User Review
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Hush silences noisy distractions with its deafeningly precise direction. Flanagan is certainly a director I've had my eye on. 'Oculus' was a surprisingly neat horror/thriller and this domestic slasher is no different. Clean, concise and packing plenty of thrills. Just make sure you stay quiet throughout. A deaf mute novelist is trapped in her own abode by a sadistic killer, using only her survival instincts to stay alive. Diminishing not one but two sensory organs allows this thriller to experiment with its suspense. Unable to hear her killer and unable to communicate for help, she must use her other heightened senses to outwit her opponent. It's a simple plot, however its overly simplistic narrative never detracts from the stylistic suspense. Her perceptions of touch and vibration is accentuated through to the audience by maximising the inventive sound editing. Background noise is often nullified in order to assist in portraying her perspective in this terrifying scenario. Triggered alarms and heavy footsteps have their sound effects increased to convey how loud they truly are. It makes for a suspenseful experience, but one that evokes auditory and visionary entertainment. A perfectly short runtime to justify the simple plot, however it does encounter inconsistent pacing as it struggles to maintain tension. Scenes often feel over extended, particularly during the second act as both individuals wander around in darkness, and that's mostly due to the lack of environmental change. It's filmed in one location, with just two actors for the vast majority of the film. With that being said, it's quite an achievement to craft a realistic domestic thriller given those intended limitations. Suitably thrilling and frequently graphic (her poor hand...), accompanied by gorgeous cinematography and astute direction. Now shhhh and go watch it.1 member likes this review.
