‘Hush:’ A film so quiet you’ll hear your own heartbeat

Having its world premiere during the SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals, “Hush” became one of the most buzzed-about films and Netflix quickly bought rights to it. While it had the potential to become another standard, clichéd thriller, “Hush” proves to be one of the most tense and terrifying films of the past five years.

The film begins with Maddie (Kate Siegel), an author who lives alone in the woods, who lost her hearing to meningitis at 13. Now deaf and mute, Maddie spends her time writing books, cooking and FaceTiming with her family. One night, she is horrified to discover that a masked intruder is trying to find his way inside and is forced to rise above her fear in order to survive the night.

What makes “Hush” work so well is that Kate Siegel (who co-wrote the script) plays the character of Maddie so brilliantly and brings a strong presence to the screen. It’s not easy carrying a film on your shoulders, especially when you’re basically the only character on screen, but she does it so gracefully and makes it look easy. Even though she can’t speak or scream, the terror she feels is easily seen on her face and she does a fantastic job showing that acting is more than just speaking the lines written on the script — It’s your body language and the way you choose to express your emotions. Again I repeat myself in saying that even though her character doesn’t say a single line of dialog, she’s louder than any other character you’ll see on screen this year and delivers a performance almost too good for a horror film. This performance especially helps because the character of Maddie is one of the most frustrating characters I’ve seen in a horror film and makes far too many mistakes. She becomes increasingly frustrating by the end of the movie, but since Siegel plays her so well you’re willing to forgive her for being so aggravating.

Another thing that makes “Hush” work well is the decision to make Maddie deaf and mute. You would think this sounds boring, but with director Mike Flannigan’s script and direction, you don’t realize that 10 minutes have passed and not a single word has been spoken. This idea works even greater when Maddie’s intruder makes his appearance on screen. Since she can’t hear anything, his entrance is quiet and subtle, almost unrecognizable, which makes it all the more tense. We can see him and hear him, but she can’t. The first half of the movie consists of the intruder casually walking around the house without Maddie knowing, and I guarantee you the first time you see him will be one of the most intense and terrifying moments you’ve ever seen on screen.

Flannigan’s and Siegel’s script is beautifully written. It doesn’t rush right into the action and instead takes its time. It gives us a chance to really know Maddie and care for her so when things start to go bad we feel something for her and care whether or not she makes it out alive. And while there comes a certain point in the movie when you realize you’re now watching Maddie attempt to escape the house for the fifth time in a row, it never feels too tedious because the film is short enough that it doesn’t overextend its welcome.

I really wish I had something negative to say about this film, but I can’t think of anything. It’s rare that a horror movie is so well done. The bottom line is, if you’re looking for a new movie to watch this week but don’t feel like spending $9.50 at the theater, log into your Netflix account and watch their latest film. I guarantee it’ll be one of the most terrifyingly satisfying experiences you’ll have with a movie and you’ll be glad you can watch it from the safety of your own covers.

-keithariaz1@gmail.com