Movie Review: ‘Silent House,’ Horror Film With Elizabeth Olsen

Igor Martinovic/Open Road Films

Elizabeth Olsen in the horror movie Silent House."

We know this much about Elizabeth Olsens prospects for a decent film career from Silent House, the new horror movie in which she stars: She does terrified pretty convincingly, and she looks great by lantern light.

Other than that, Silent House doesnt add much to the anticipation that Ms. Olsen, younger sister of the Olsen twins of Full House, will be something special because there isnt much movie there (certainly not as much as in Martha Marcy May Marlene, Ms. Olsens main other credit so far). Ms. Olsen plays Sarah, who goes with her father (Adam Trese) and uncle (Eric Sheffer Stevens) to clean out a little-used family vacation home so it can be sold. Creepy things begin to happen, most of them in dim light because the electricity is out and the windows are boarded up.

The movie, directed by Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, is billed as unfolding in real time and spends much of that time following Ms. Olsen at close range as she tries to escape from the house, a lantern highlighting her expressive face and low-cut shirt. But its not hard to guess the source of her horror, and so the films most interesting aspects are its gimmicks rather than its frights. The best of those: a scene illuminated entirely by the periodic discharging of a still cameras flash.

Silent House is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has intense scenes of scariness.

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Movie Review: ‘Silent House,’ Horror Film With Elizabeth Olsen