“I can come in anytime I want. And I can get you, anytime I want. But I’m not going to. Not until it’s time. When you wish you’re dead…that’s when I’ll come inside.”
What’s worse than having a masked killer appear at your window when you’re completely isolated, living alone in the woods? Experiencing all of the above without the ability to hear anything. And that is where the heart-pounding thriller, Hush, from acclaimed writer and director, Mike Flanagan (Absentia, Oculus, Before I Wake), begins.
Author Maddie Young (Kate Siegel, Oculus) is a deaf writer, who after losing her hearing as a teenager, has retreated from society, living a life of utter isolation in a cabin in the woods. One night, she would quickly come to realize she wasn’t alone, when she sees the masked face of a crazed killer staring back at her through the window. Without anyone around for miles, and no way to call for help, Maddie realizes she is in a dire situation. She must push herself beyond her limits in order to survive the night. Will Maddie survive? Will she succumb to her physical and mental limitations? Or has the killer underestimated his prey and her insatiable need to live?
I love home invasion movies; I love the concept of home invasion movies. Just thinking of the premise is horrifying in its very nature. So of all the horror sub-genres, I tend to get excited the most on the promise of a great home invasion flick. Take for example, The Strangers (written and directed by Bryan Bertino). That to me, is the industry gold standard of how home invasion horror movies should be done. It doesn’t take a big budget to produce a big impact. It provides you with all the elements to invoke fear within your own mind, making you believe it can easily happen to you. And that is exactly how I felt when I was watching Hush. It has similar elements, but with one major caveat creep factor — the victim is deaf.
The beauty of Flanagan’s Hush, like The Strangers, is in its simplicity: Basic story-line, lots of built-in tension, scary looking killers, and great kill scenes. It’s more of a throwback to the 80’s, when horror was simple and great, without big budgets, cheesy animations, and weird convoluted story-lines.
If you’re in the mood for a great home invasion movie with a twist, definitely give this one a shot — it will satisfy your horror sweet tooth!!!! I give this gem 4 jugular squirts out of 5!