Return to Silent Hill #1 on Hulu, and it’s so much worse than I thought it would be
A new Silent Hill film directed by Christophe Gans has launched on Hulu, drawing criticism for its approach to adapting the beloved video game franchise. The director, who helmed the original Silent Hill film two decades ago, returns with a vision that critics argue shows disrespect for the source material.
According to the review, a successful Silent Hill adaptation should leverage the franchise’s defining elements: rich iconography, character-driven storytelling, psychological horror, and symbolically meaningful monster designs. These foundations are established across eight mainline games, with a ninth title—Silent Hill: Townfall—forthcoming. Rather than reinventing the formula, an effective adaptation simply requires trusting and honoring what already works.
The reviewer characterizes the new film’s approach as exhibiting “cinematic arrogance,” failing to respect these core principles. Following two largely panned Silent Hill films, fans have questioned whether a truly excellent film adaptation of the franchise is even achievable. This latest entry appears to reinforce those doubts, suggesting the film’s shortcomings stem from a fundamental disconnect between Gans’ directorial vision and what makes Silent Hill compelling—atmospheric dread, character depth, and thematically resonant creature designs.