PLOT: When a man receives a mysterious letter from his lost love, he is drawn to Silent Hill, a once familiar town now consumed by darkness.
REVIEW: I still remember being blown away by the first Silent Hill movie when it was released to theaters in 2006. It was such a unique experience and, as someone who hadn’t played the games at the time, felt like a glimpse into such a fascinating world. It had a very dark and nihilistic approach, and as a teen, I absolutely loved downer endings. So I was very excited to see director Christophe Gans return to the franchise after 20 years to create another entry with Return to Silent Hill. Only this time, he’s taking much more inspiration from the games.
Return to Silent Hill follows the story of James Sunderland, who travels to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his long-lost love. Game fans will notice this is pretty much a retelling of the second Silent Hill game, but it does still take some detours along the way. It’s going to be hard not to constantly compare this to the game since there are so many damn similarities. Even its presentation harkens to visuals from the newer game and recreates shots/locations left and right. So I won’t judge it against that property, but I’ll mention it when it’s obvious.
Jeremy Irvine does a decent enough job as James and conveys his guilt well. However, his accent does slip a few times, which can be a bit distracting. I’ve liked Hannah Emily Anderson since Jigsaw, so it’s nice to see her in a prominent role(s). She fits the world well. Wednesday fans will be excited to see Evie Templeton, but truthfully, she’s not in the film much. Though it is cool to see her in the role of Laura since she also plays her in the game remake from 2024. Everyone feels like they’re straight out of a cutscene, for better or worse.
I’ve always loved Silent Hill‘s aesthetic, with its foggy town and decrepit buildings. I was often reminded of Hellboy: The Crooked Man in that they clearly didn’t have a lot of money, but there was still a lot of creativity in the filmmaking. Sure, some greenscreen doesn’t land, and the FX can be inconsistent, but this sure takes advantage of the creepy visuals. The nurses are absolutely iconic, and they work incredibly well here. I just wish they were around for a bit longer. Even Pyramid Head is a bit underhanded, though it’s nice to have him be more than just a villainous presence and be more of what he was originally intended to be.
Return to Silent Hill finds itself in a strange place: it may be too faithful to the game for general audiences, and too far from it for fans of the series. I found myself still enjoying the film while acknowledging its flaws. It genuinely feels like a video game come to life and has some changes that make the narrative beats hit harder. But I also question how ambiguous much of the film is and whether that will be accessible to those who don’t know the games or understand this world.
I’m not sure Return quite lands in the way that it intends to. It’s a little cornier and cheaper than I would have liked. The acting can be a bit hammy, and it genuinely feels like I’m playing a video game at various points. But I still found myself invested in the story and enjoying James’ journey. This is certainly a lot better than Revelation, but it falls short of the 2006 film. Its messaging is a bit dark, and I’m not sure everything comes together in the end, but I enjoyed the journey itself.
Return to Silent Hill releases to theaters on January 23rd, 2026.
