REVIEW : HUSH

HUSH

There is nothing better than slipping in the DVD of a horror film you know nothing about, other than its clues on the cover of course. So when Hush came out as a British, Independent Horror, I have to admit I got excited and it turns out it was for good reason.

Young couple Zakes and Beth are on their way home, and stuck out on the motorway. Having a near miss with a truck driver, Zakes notices something strange as the two avoid collision with each other. As the trucks tailgate flips up, Zakes sees, what he thinks is a woman in a cage. The two find themselves stuck in traffic behind the van, but Zakes declines to do anything. Pulling into a service station it becomes clear that this is just another reason for his girlfriend Beth to be disappointed in him.

Zakes storms off and on return realises that Beth is gone, but where? Then he sees the truck and its driver and realises that Beth has suffered the same fate as the girl he saw. Giving chase Zakes suddenly finds himself trapped in a nightmare that soon takes a very sinister twist.

Hush was extremely surprising considering, until viewing, I had never even heard of it, and by the cover art, it is easy to assume that I had a Duel or Roadkill copycat on my hands. But Hush, is much more down to earth, it almost feels real. Never stepping beyond the boundaries of reality, with a photography style that only compliments the way the story is told and moves it forward.

There are some great and iconic moments in Hush that actually send me back to it for a second watch, and although it ends quite abruptly, it doesn’t leave the viewer feeling as if they have been cheated. The sense of tension running through the film is phenomenal as we try and guess how Zakes will react next with each obstacle he comes across.

The only thing that lets the film down is the forced performance by girlfriend Beth (Christine Bottomley) who never seems to express a single line of dialogue with any sincerity. But that is about it. The cinematography might feel a bit much for those used to Hollywood Blockbusters, but for those who like a bit of class to their photography, you will get something out of this.

OVERALL

Hush is a nice little dark horror/thriller that keeps you guessing and watching as you follow our hero on his nightmare journey to save his girlfriend, who unfortunately can’t act. But don’t let that put you off, she’s not in it for very much anyway. Also the simple style of the ‘killer’ is something of note and brings a sense of British grit to a tense & exciting movie.