Hush — Ann Hale
Before directing The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan made a serious mark with a lesser known horror film called Hush. Starring and co-written by his wife, Kate Siegel, whom you will recognize from The Haunting of Hill House as Theo, Hush is the story of a deaf and mute writer who is stalked by a masked killer that she cannot hear coming.
Maddie (Seigel) is a deaf and mute writer who lives deep in the woods, secluded from society, where she can feel safe and write in peace. Her only connections to the outside world are her laptop and her best friend, a neighbor that lives a ways down the road. When that friend is viciously murdered by a masked intruder, Maddie becomes the next target for brutal game of cat and mouse, where she must use her storytelling skills to figure out her next moves to defeat a man who seems to always be one step ahead.
Hush is an unsettling film, showing us a little-thought-of downside to a hearing disability, but proving that disability does not mean weakness. One major stand out for me is the lack of jump scares. Instead, Flanagan and Seigel deliver on suspense, at times allowing the viewer to experience the stalking from Maddie’s sound proof perspective. One such scene is when Maddie is hiding in the bathroom and the killer sneaks in through the window behind her. We can see the glass shattering behind her, the killer slipping in, but we can’t hear any of it happening because Maddie can’t hear it. The use and lack of sound is part of what makes this film so successful in its execution.
Overall, I would put Hush somewhere near the top of the home invasion films list. Not quite as high as The Strangers, but certainly in my top five. If you’re looking for an edge of your seat type of film this spooky season, Hush is a worthy choice.
