How effective is horror, a genre defined by tricky edits and Neve Campbell's harried grimace, when its thrills are conveyed in one continuous shot? Gustavo Hernández's 2010 Cannes selection The Silent House -- which comes out in the UK this April -- wants to answer that. In the new trailer (which, counterintuitively, is a patchwork of quick cuts) young actress Florencia Colucci tries to flee an ominous house in rural Uruguay, but some dark-ass force has her number.
I love when a movie like this is "based on real events," because you know victims in a similar situation would love to see their story played out in a grim, screamy phantasmagoria. That's how the healing process begins. Or maybe the "real events" just have to do with the shaky tiles in a house somewhere. Maybe this is based on an average episode of Trading Spaces.
OK, the uninterrupted shot thing is a fun idea. And also a little boring. Remember when Hitchcock tried to pass that idea off in Rope, and the only thing he accomplished with the uninterrupted shot was a lot of hangtime on the gay glances between the prefab Leopold and Loeb characters? Admittedly, those dudes were hot. Seriously, strangle me and hide me under the breakfast nook, guys. Except let's not invite sexless old Jimmy Stewart to interrupt us. Let's not get cocky! Or let's.
Anyway. I could do without the contrived-ass "girl in the doorway" apparition that appears at the end, since it's not 2002, we should be over that brand of horror, and I never want to look at another Evanescence album cover again. But the sheer peculiarity of The Silent House's exercise (plus the fact that the Elizabeth Olsen-starring remake was a Sundance standout) is worth a look. I can't guarantee it won't be a predictable look, but the shrill immediacy of lead actress Florencia Colucci's performance looks impressive. Wait until she sees the paint swatch that Paige Davis is trapping her with.
Verdict: Roped in.