M.L. Miller here! As I go into the tenth year of reviewing horror films, I wanted to go back to the beginning and repost some of the films I loved starting with the year I began reviewing the genre officially October 1, 2010 through October 1, 2011. I have posted my best of lists in the past, but a lot of those old reviews haven’t seen the light of day since they were first posted many moons ago. Being the OCD person that I am, I have also reworked the list, looking back at my own choices and shifting them around a bit. I’ve even added a few that I might have missed or looked over from the year in question. So if you think you know how these lists are going to turn out, you don’t!
How did I compile this list? I simply looked through films released between October 1st 2010 and September 30, 2011 and worked and reworked the list until I had the magic number, 31. Again, I never call myself any kind of expert in horror. I simply watch a lot of horror films and love writing about them. Don’t forget to like and share my picks with your pals across the web on your own personal social media. Chime in after the review and let me know what you think of the film, how on the nose or mind-numbingly wrong I am, or most importantly, come up with your own darn list…let’s go!
Released on September 13, 2011. Available on Video On Demand, digital download, and DVD/BluRay!
#7 – THE SILENT HOUSE (2011)
aka LA CASA MUDA
Directed by Gustavo Hernández
Written by Gustavo Hernández, Oscar Estevez & Gustavo Rojo
Starring Florencia Colucci, Abel Tripaldi, Gustavo Alonso, María Salazar
Find out more about this film here!
Appreciators of the technicality of filmmaking will most likely be the ones who enjoy SILENT HOUSE the most. The fact that this hour and a half film was shot with one continuous shot is enough to impress any film buff and will have folks seeking this one out to see if and when cuts were actually made. It is a fantastic technical achievement as the camera follows a single woman as she tries to survive in a dimly lit house that appears to be haunted by something dark and evil.
Director Gustavo Hernandez does a fantastic job of following actress Florencia Colucci as she attempts to make her way through the dark house with only a lantern to guide her way. The film is mostly silent as well, with Colucci’s panting being the main sound we hear throughout. Hernandez does offer up quite a few sequences that make for some tactile moments of terror. A sequence where Colucci finds a Polaroid camera and uses the flash to make her way through the rooms stands out as one of the most terrifying of the bunch. Other sequences involve the appearance of a little girl who appears to be some kind of specter that is equally creepy.
Actress Colucci herself does a fantastic job, as the camera is always centered on her, and never does she falter in the hour and a half the camera follows her. The resolution of the film is a bit tidy for my tastes and some of the scares are predictable, given the limited ability of an unblinking camera. In instances you think something scary is going to happen, it usually does. Editing a scene helps shatter some of the predictability. When that aspect of filmmaking is eliminated, it changes things drastically. But Hernandez does a decent job of hurdling this obstacle with some well-placed mirrors, camera movements, and periods of sheer blackness.
Again, if you’re like me and love those Scorsese long takes, SILENT HOUSE is the film for you. Most of the scares hit hard and Colucci should be recognized for her arduous performance. Those of you who aren’t really impressed that it all was done in one take might find the accommodations to achieve the single take taxing. The remake with Elizabeth Olsen, while decent, ultimately is unnecessary, as this film is mostly gasps, stifled screams, and heavy breathing. But at least it is directed by the same director. Personally, I prefer the original for its raw scares and rough edges.
THE 2010-2011 COUNTDOWN!
#7 – THE SILENT HOUSE
#8 – LET ME IN
#9 – THE REEF
#10 – RED, WHITE, & BLUE
#11 – A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE
#12 – WE ARE WHAT WE ARE
#13 – DOGTOOTH
#14 – PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
#15 – KIDNAPPED
#16 – INSIDIOUS
#17 – A SERBIAN FILM
#18 – TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
#19 – HEARTLESS
#20 – ABSENTIA
#21 – BEREAVEMENT
#22 – RUBBER
#23 – GRAVE ENCOUNTERS
#24 – STAKE LAND
#25 – WAKE WOOD
#26 – LONG PIGS
#27 – HUSK
#28 – YELLOWBRICKROAD
#29 – MONSTERS
#30 – LA HORDE
#31 – THE VIOLENT KIND
M. L. Miller is a wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of MLMILLERWRITES.COM. Follow @Mark_L_Miller.
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