Return to Silent Hill Fails to Capture the Essence of Silent Hill 2’s Rich Story

Return to Silent Hill is the film adaptation of Silent Hill 2, regarded as one of the best horror survival games ever made. So, there was some weight to this new film adaptation to actually be good. According to some fans and critics, Return to Silent Hill failed to capture the essence of the original game’s rich and captivating story. Here’s what people had to say about the film and its lackluster performance at the box office.

The Original Story Following James Sunderland

To many people, Silent Hill 2 is one of the best survival horror games to have ever been made. The incredible art direction, iconic characters, the mesmerizing soundtrack, and the captivating, mature, and rich story engage players throughout the entirety of the game, and because the series has a focus on sensitive subject material, there is a relatability to the characters and the story that I’m sure many fans and people of the series can feel.

In the original Silent Hill 2, the story follows James Sunderland as he travels to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, telling him to meet her at a “special place” in the titular town. His arrival in Silent Hill causes him to experience a hellish nightmare, where he is confronted with his innermost demons and must face physical and psychological manifestations of his guilt, shame, and trauma.

These manifestations take the form of horrifying creatures like Pyramid Head and the bubble nurses from Brookhaven Hospital, or of Maria, a woman he meets in Silent Hill, who serves as a physical manifestation of his idealization of Mary. These factors haunt James, serving as a reminder of his trauma of killing Mary, which is revealed towards the end of the game, and is why he is trapped in this hellish nightmare.

What Does the Film Lack?

The Silent Hill franchise has had much difficulty throughout the years adapting these iconic games into films. Now, I’m not saying the films are horrible and to never watch them; in fact, I actually quite like the first Silent Hill film, even though it takes aspects of different games and mashes them into one film. However, the film industry has definitely struggled to produce a successful Silent Hill film that would satisfy fans of the series.

It seems this is also the case for Return to Silent Hill, the newest film to be adapted, and the first one to fully adapt a whole game in its entirety. The new film has taken some creative liberties in terms of adding things to the story. This is first seen at the beginning of the film, which added a scene of when James and Mary met for the first time, and the film has added flashback scenes that show us how they fell in love with each other and the different issues they had to overcome.

Return to Silent Hill also introduces a version of the cult that has become popular within the series, but actually isn’t present in the original Silent Hill 2 game, and Mary is somehow involved with them. The addition of the cult changed the direction of the plotline, which becomes even more complex compared to the original game. This has effectively turned fans off because it fails to capture the simplicity of Silent Hill 2’s horror and what made James’ story so incredibly powerful in the first place.

Return to Silent Hill’s Poor Performance at the Box Office

Even though the film was released in theaters yesterday, Return to Silent Hill has earned pretty poor reviews from fans and critics alike, with a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score. Many critics felt the additions of James and Mary’s past, as well as including the cult, were unnecessary and complicated the story way too much. It took away from the mystery and oppressive suspense of the original game, adding the backstory to James and Mary’s relationship.

Throughout the entirety of the game, the one question we ask ourselves is what is James so guilty of? The mystery of that question is answered at the end of the game, making huge revelations as he is reminded of his wrongdoings. The extra scenes of James and Mary’s relationship take away from the mystery of the story, and the addition of a new plotline convolutes it, taking away from the richness of James’ tragic storyline.

Return to Silent Hill isn’t a bad movie. However, the many changes in the film leave fans wondering why these particular changes were made in the first place. All in all, Return to Silent Hill will be a different experience than the original game, and don’t expect to be wowed by the film. However, it is still entertaining and has some pretty fun moments in it that’ll leave you feeling pretty scared by the end.