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Florencia Colucci, Abel Tripaldi, Gustavo Fabián Alonso, Maria Paz Salazar, Patricia Silveira ... see more see more... , Emiliana Nuñez , Estefanía Machado , Verónica Cáceres , María Salazar

Laura and her father Wilson settle down in an old farmhouse to make some repairs and update it prior to its sale. But after they spend the night there, things start to get strange. Laura hears a sound... read more read more... that gets louder and louder on the upper floor of the house. Wilson goes up to see what is going on while she remains downstairs, waiting for her father's return.

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36% liked it

2,641 ratings

Critics

70% liked it

23 critics

R, 1 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: Gustavo Hernández

Release Date: May 6, 2011

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DVD Release Date: September 13, 2011

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Stats: 260 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (260)

  • blacksheepboy
    March 22, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    Very well filmed as one single long take, it impresses for the elegance and technique employed, but the script is just awful, with stupid characters, overcalculated chills (always forewarned by the intrusive score) and a ridiculous, illogical ending.
  • lewiskendell
    December 31, 2011
    lewiskendell
    The Silent House was a movie of highs and lows for me. Parts of it were suspenseful and terrifying, while other parts were outright boring. And the overall plot is one that will probably turn off some as its revealed. Despite how uneven it is, though, I still recommend it. I love... read more the ideas that went into making The Silent House, I just wish the final result was a little more consistent.
  • kiriyamakazou
    April 23, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    The Silent House gives the illusion that is was filmed in one take. I highly doubt this, as there are a lot of suspicious panning across solid black objects. Still the lengths of the takes is still impressive, if a little ambitious at times. Sometimes it's obvious the actors are ... read morewalking around the crew. Luckily, the darkness soon covers it all up. I can't say much for the film really as I found it rather dull. It's pretty much a woman walking around a house in the dark. Once it was obvious that nothing scary was ever going to happen, I soon settled down and was just bored. Every time there was something suspicious in the background, a sound effect/musical cue would alert me to its presence. The film finally gets a plot in the last few minutes, which plays out through the credits in Polaroid form. Like a horror version of The Hangover's end credits, it was the best part, and the film should have focused on the photographed events, rather than being a tease for nothing.
  • ryguy4738
    March 22, 2012
    ryguy4738
    ** out of ****

    The definition of "horror" states that - in the context of cinema - for a film to qualify as a successful entry into this genre, it must unnerve and elicit both negative and positive (but mostly negative) emotions from the viewing audience. If this is true, then... read more "The Silent House" is half a horror movie; momentarily, it scares and keeps the viewer on edge, waiting for whatever has the potential to inevitably happen to happen, but when regarding those emotions, I can't say it left me with too many positive ones. My theory is that no matter how violent or depressing the movie, one can derive happy thoughts from the experience so long as they find it thought-provoking. I say this because in all honesty, it feels pretty darn good to think; so long as all that thinking gets you somewhere, to a conclusion, perhaps. In the beginning, I wasn't sure what to think; in the middle, I was experiencing some of those "positive emotions"; and by the end, I was left with nothing but dark, cold, bitter cynicism.

    My problem was this: the film has basically used a gimmick (it was supposedly shot in one continuous take, and it runs about 80 minutes in length) to hold my attention for the time that it demanded, instead of using an absorbing story and characters to draw me in. I'll admit that it's seldom boring, and it intrigued me from beginning to end (although that's precisely where I draw the line); but in trying to make the film as creepy and tense as possible, director Gustavo Hernandez also forget some key ingredients. "The Silent House" could have been such an effective little chiller - and for extended but underwhelming periods of time it kind of is - had it avoided the obstacles that were involved in its making. It almost feels as if there was no written screenplay, and that the ambition alone was supposed to carry the film. The filmmakers should not have so arrogantly assumed such a thing.

    The premise is incredibly simple. Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Olonso) make way by foot to an old cottage that lies on secluded ground. They intend to fix it up within the next few days for a friend of dad, who intends to sell the house soon after they finish the job. The two get to the estate a little too late for their liking, and Wilson says they'll start up in the morning. However, they must set up camp downstairs for the time being, since the upstairs is deemed "unsafe" and "unstable". And so they settle down on the various chairs, with the blankets that have been provided, and they try to get some shut-eye. But a loud noise disturbs Laura, prompting her to ask Wilson to go check it out. Of course, it's coming from upstairs; and of course, that's just where Wilson goes. When yet another noise is heard and father does not return, Laura goes looking for him and gets way more than she bargained for.

    Most of the film is devoted to Laura looking around in the dark, dark house with a particularly illuminating lamp and a scythe in hand. Something must have made that noise, and clearly it's looking to get nasty; Wilson is found dead and bleeding in no time, and we see apparitions (unseen to Laura) that could very well be his killer(s). It remains intriguing and engaging for a while, but soon gets repetitive and rather pointless. Certain scenes, such as the one where Laura happens upon strange paintings of people with literally "blank expressions", give the film some steam; but it fails to catch fire.

    The film is an outstanding technical achievement for Hernandez and his team. The production was completed in four days, and while that makes me somewhat doubt the authenticity of the single-take claims that alone sell the film, it can still be considered a mastery of cinematic technology. It certainly had me fooled, even if it was nothing more than a gimmick. The cinematography is also gorgeous, particularly when Laura's lamp lights the way. Such a light gives off an image that lends the film a certain quality; it's almost surreal and otherworldly. I just wish such things had been put to better use, or perhaps in a better film. They might have worked exceptionally well had the film been one of paranormal and ghostly qualities, but the twist ending reveals a true intent that is anything but from beyond the grave. Maybe if this had been a ghost story in the end, I would have enjoyed it more. All-in-all, I did enjoy a good portion of it anyways; but the twist ruined the entire experience and made me feel as if I had just wasted my time.

    Nevertheless, it's still worth seeing if you're as big a horror fan as I am. There are some aspects worth looking into here, although I'm afraid all goodness is drowned out by the bad and the sadly mediocre stuff that comes in between. There are genuine moments of suspense, some cleverly placed jump scares, and the visual atmosphere is gold; but as I said, there are some great materials and resources here that simply belong in a film of different qualities and themes. It doesn't help that the story is weak, the characters grossly under-developed (although the twist is supposed to sort of rectify that), and the pacing unfortunately uneven. I love a good, suspenseful horror film, but this isn't one. By the halfway point, I was hoping that it would silence itself before I would be provoked to silence it, by turning off the DVD Player.
  • divinetrash
    August 20, 2011
    divinetrash
    The film suffers due to a serious lack of character and story development, but what remains is a tense and suspenseful movie that inmediately grabs you and doesn't let go, thanks to the importance given to the camera, it's almmost another character, and the way the lighting trick... read mores your mind, making you just as scared and confused as our protagonist.
  • John2223
    February 21, 2011
    John2223
    ¨La casa muda ¨(The Silent House) is an Uruguayan psychological horror/thriller that is engaging, atmospheric, tidy and effective spooky house film that will make you jump a couple of time.
    USA remake in on the way.
  • fb555928095
    April 25, 2012
    fb555928095
    This horror film from Uruguay is a taunt, stylish horror film. Shot in way that gives the impression of being one long continuous take, The Silent House follows the terrors that await a young woman in a house without power in which something or someone seems to be stalking her. ... read more A taunt, edge-of-your seat thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.
  • CMh196701
    March 31, 2012
    CMh196701
    I am hoping the American version is better. It was good and had some real scary moments and the use of the camera has some brilliant moments. It is short, which is good since it is exhausting to watch.
  • mattmartinez11
    March 14, 2012
    mattmartinez11
    SPOILERS!!!!

    Okay, so I would like to ask filmmakers to PLEASE STOP with the it-was-all-in-his/her-head / he/she-was-really-the-killer-the whole-time twist ending. It hasn't been original or clever for years now, and it just serves to ruin everything that led up to it. Take, for... read more instance, The Silent House (La Casa Muda). The director managed to establish a pretty good amount of wonderful atmosphere (despite a really slow start) only to piss it all away by revealing that the protagonist is actually suffering from some sort of dissociative identity disorder. (This flies in the face of logic as the movie, shot to look like one continuous take, barely ever leaves her P.O.V.) As far as I'm concerned, it pretty much just says, "By the way, all the stuff you cared about didn't really happen, so you've just wasted an hour or so. As if that's not bad enough, after the end credits roll, the movie KEEPS GOING for another five minutes for no good reason. I think I'll be avoiding the remake despite thinking Elizabeth Olson is a promising talent.
  • fb651303273
    February 29, 2012
    fb651303273
    I don't know what to say about this movie. I loved the first part of it but the entire ending has me baffled. I can't remember the last time a movie left me this utterly confused about what the heck I just watched. The subtitles on the copy I had were really bad so I think that i... read mores to blame for the confusion. Any of my Spanish speaking friends want to explain this movie to me?

View All The Silent House (La casa muda) Reviews

Critic Reviews

William Goss
May 9, 2011
William Goss, Film.com

Reminiscent of the breathless right-behind-you tension of Ils (Them), full of playful reveals and made all the eerier by Hernán González's classically ominous score. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
September 5, 2011
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

A quick, fluid, scary tale that makes up for in quiet chills what it lacks in slam-bang craziness. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
June 21, 2011
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Até consegue criar um ou outro momento memorável, mas, de modo geral, é tristemente medíocre, jamais fazendo jus ao preciosismo técnico com que foi concebido. Full Review

Mar Diestro-Dópido
May 25, 2011
Mar Diestro-Dópido, Sight and Sound

A remarkable exercise in atmosphere and suspense. Full Review

Anthony Quinn
May 25, 2011
Anthony Quinn, Independent

The catch of this Uruguayan horror film is its structure, one continuous shot that takes us through a perplexing tale of disturbance, murder and madness. Full Review

Walter Chaw
May 24, 2011
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

has found a way not only to suggest a gimmick successfully carried through, but also to weave that gimmick into a richer thematic tapestry. Full Review

Dustin Putman
May 18, 2011
Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com

The stylistic angle comes off as a gimmick used to occupy the viewers' attention and keep them from stopping to think about how flimsy the script is. Full Review

Bill Gibron
May 10, 2011
Bill Gibron, PopMatters

Ambition can definitely detract from a project's bigger picture. The Silent House actually thrives on is aspirations. Full Review

David Nusair
May 5, 2011
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...a passable cinematic experiment that does reward the viewer's patience on a relatively consistent basis. Full Review

Sam Bathe
April 12, 2011
Sam Bathe, Fan The Fire

The image of its heroine standing in silhouette in a doorway, unsure of whether to cross over, is quite simply the most iconic horror image of the year. Full Review

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