This Underrated Horror Movie Was Elizabeth Olsen’s Big Break
Universal Pictures By Valerie Ettenhofer/Feb. 23, 2022 11:14 am EST
When “WandaVision” dropped on Disney+ last year, it turned one of Marvel’s lesser-known Avengers into a sitcom-hopping star. It also made its own star, Elizabeth Olsen, a household name thanks to her poignant performance as the grieving hero. Olsen joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014, but her breakout role came two years earlier, in the form of a polarizing horror movie with an impressive visual gimmick.
“Silent House” is a twisted home invasion movie directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau. The movie premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival alongside another Olsen-led film, the cult-set thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” Together, the two films proved an impressive showcase for the young actress, but when they hit theaters following the festival, only one garnered responses, and it wasn’t “Silent House.” While critics praised Olsen’s performance and the film’s technical ambition, many simply thought its story execution fell short. The movie also received a rare “F” rating from audiences on CinemaScore. But was it ever really that bad?
This Underrated Horror Movie Was Elizabeth Olsen’s Big Break
Universal Pictures
By Valerie Ettenhofer/Feb. 23, 2022 11:14 am EST
When “WandaVision” dropped on Disney+ last year, it turned one of Marvel’s lesser-known Avengers into a sitcom-hopping star. It also made its own star, Elizabeth Olsen, a household name thanks to her poignant performance as the grieving hero. Olsen joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014, but her breakout role came two years earlier, in the form of a polarizing horror movie with an impressive visual gimmick.
“Silent House” is a twisted home invasion movie directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau. The movie premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival alongside another Olsen-led film, the cult-set thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” Together, the two films proved an impressive showcase for the young actress, but when they hit theaters following the festival, only one garnered responses, and it wasn’t “Silent House.” While critics praised Olsen’s performance and the film’s technical ambition, many simply thought its story execution fell short. The movie also received a rare “F” rating from audiences on CinemaScore. But was it ever really that bad?
“Silent House” is a twisted home invasion movie directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau. The movie premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival alongside another Olsen-led film, the cult-set thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” Together, the two films proved an impressive showcase for the young actress, but when they hit theaters following the festival, only one garnered responses, and it wasn’t “Silent House.” While critics praised Olsen’s performance and the film’s technical ambition, many simply thought its story execution fell short. The movie also received a rare “F” rating from audiences on CinemaScore. But was it ever really that bad?
Silent House is a twisted real-time thriller
The film unfolds in real time, with what appears to be one continuous take. This artistic device allows “Silent House” to steadily build dread and suspense, but it also leaves room for some narrative dead air as Sarah hyperventilates in the dark. Still, it’s a bold filmmaking decision that calls to mind a beloved movie from the Master of Suspense himself. Alfred Hitchock’s 1948 drawing room murder movie “Rope” employed a similar technique, seamlessly editing together extremely long takes to give the appearance of a single, continuous shot. Olsen confirmed that “Silent House” used the same method: she told interviewers that making the movie involved filming 11 to 12 minute takes, many of which would have to be scrapped and restarted when small imperfections arose.
A bad case of misleading marketing
Above all else, it’s likely viewers who were stoked to see an action-packed home invasion movie were disappointed that the film spent so much of its runtime wandering dark hallways, only to morph into a troubling psychological thriller at the last minute. The overblown response to “Silent House” seems to be a result of misleading advertising, but that doesn’t mean the movie itself is a bust.
