The Silent Hill franchise is horror-game royalty. Exploring an abandoned town consumed by fog is creepy enough, but combine that with iconically frightening monster designs and Akira Yamaoka’s hypnotic yet unsettling soundtrack, and you’ve got some of the best video games in the history of the medium. No wonder, then, that the franchise was perfect fodder for film adaptation. Directed by self-professed fan Christophe Gans, 2006’s Silent Hill follows Rose as she takes her adopted daughter Sharon to the titular town in a last-ditch effort to cure an ailment affecting the child. What follows is a descent into madness, including series trademarks like the character Pyramid Head and Yamaoka’s trip-hop-inspired tunes. The film has gained a cult-like status over the years, as it was a rare gem in a wave of poorly made video game adaptations, as well as a clear love letter to the games that revels in its source material rather than seeming ashamed of it. With the film celebrating its 20th anniversary — as well as Gans’ new film Return to Silent Hill currently in theaters — it’s only natural that the Belcourt brings it back, and with a wonderful 35 mm showing, no less. Come visit Silent Hill on Friday at midnight; they’ll be expecting you. Scene senior film critic Jason Shawhan will introduce the screening.
Midnight at the Belcourt
2102 Belcourt Ave.
