Hush (I) (2016) User Reviews (587)

Just shows, you don't need a lot of screaming to make a slasher movie tense

[markgorman · 7/10 · 17 December 2016]

A chess game of suspense involving a deaf girl and a serial killer locked outside her home in the woods.

It sounds like a cliché with a twist, and it is, but it's a really good cliché with a twist.

For a start the premise that the lead character Maddie, the deaf writer, who is home alone after a relationship break up, opens up a box of plot twists and devices that are unfamiliar in their familiarity.

Second, Maddie, (Kate Siegel) dominates the movie, even though it's essentially a double hander, with a superbly sympathetic performance that never gets you shouting "don't do that", as is common in this genre.

The tension does not let up from start to finish (and it's only 82 minutes so doesn't outstay its welcome) as the masked invader tries to outwit Maddie and vice versa.

The temptation might have been to take Maddie's disability and, like with Audrey Hepburn's blindness in Wait Until Dark, use it to her advantage somehow; but that does not transpire. It's actually her skills as a writer (she is completing her latest crime novel when the would be assassin strikes) that gives her some traction in what should be a one-sided battle.

This is an intelligent, well paced and well shot, low budget slasher movie, but on a higher plane.

Silent chiller with great acting and an excellent premise.

[lnvicta · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

'Hush' is a lot like 'The Strangers', except instead of strangers plural it's only one man, and instead of a husband and wife being terrorized it's a deaf and mute recluse. It's very tense and cleverly written bar a few cliché tropes that come with this kind of movie. It also has a minimal synth score, something I notice more and more horror movies are utilizing - 'You're Next', 'It Follows' - to give it an '80s classic slasher atmosphere. It's hard to even call it horror though as it offers far more thrills than actual scares. I was thoroughly satisfied watching this movie. It's constantly engaging, and that has a lot to do with the terrific performances of both the man and Maggie, and there are a few scenes that are genuinely depraved and chilling. It doesn't break any new ground, but following 'The Babadook' and 'It Follows', 'Hush' continues to reinspire the subtle, quiet corner of the genre and bodes well for the future of psychological thrillers. Highly recommended.

Hush: Takes a stale sub-genre and does something with it

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 30 April 2018]

The slasher genre was at it's peak in the 80's, when the 90's came it began to struggle and in this guys opinion it's never fully recovered. Sure every once in a while a high profile slasher movie pops up but the interest never seems to last.

I'd say a primary reason is that they're all the same but that could be said about a lot of horror sub-genres.

Here we have the story of a mute/deaf author who lives out secluded in the forest and you guessed it she falls foul of a masked killer.

The fact she's deaf actually adds more of an element to the movie than you'd imagine and though Hush suffers from the same Slasher tropes as every other it manages to stay fresh regardless.

Well shot, well written and well acted by both little known leads I came away from Hush very satisfied. Sure it's nothing revolutionary but it didn't need to be, it's a demonstration that slashers still have life left in them.

The Good:

The pets role in the film

Some well crafted moments

Both leads were excellent

The Bad:

Slasher tropes

Hush

[0U · 14 February 2020]

Hush combines the familiarities of the home-invasion sub-genre with the unpredictability of its interesting premise. Kate Siegel plays deaf author Maddie with persisting conviction and aids in mining the story's nailbiting potential. It doesn't surpass every trope there is within its category, but it sprinkles plenty of "oh, how will this turn out?" questions across its short runtime to keep you on your toes.

An OK thriller with some interesting aspects.

[noorutin · 7/10 · 21 July 2016]

Let us start with the fact that this is not a horror movie. It's a thriller, with some interesting unusual aspects, as well as a few cringe-worthy flaws (in character logic, as the case always seems to be).

So what makes this movie stand out and feel almost fresh? The obvious first is that our protagonist is deaf-mute. Not being an expert on deaf people, I still believe this was played quite consistently to the movie's credit. It is interesting to occupy the head space of someone missing such an important sense in a frightful situation.

Another thing I noticed is the total lack of jump scares. There isn't a single jump-scare in the movie, which only further distances Hush from being a horror movie. In fact the usual creep factor as a whole is kept to a minimum. It quickly becomes a cat-and-mouse kind of battle of wits more than anything else, which I found a pleasant surprise, despite being more of a horror fanatic.

The third curious thing is that from the get go it's made clear that the killer is very much human. We don't know what his motivations are, he's just out to kill and doesn't give much of a s*** about anything else but his upper hand. He doesn't have much of a plan and has to improvise, as does our protagonist to survive.

I found the thrill in this movie to be more intellectual than primal. The gore is neither profuse nor lacking, it's there when it's needed. It's well shot, acted, directed and edited, considering the modest budget, and doesn't overstay its welcome. I'd recommend it for a rainy evening if you want to see the thriller genre try something new.

A Decent Twist On A Formulaic Genre.

[Matt_Layden · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

Mike Flanagan is one for two in my books. His first big film was Absentia, which was a slow boring mess of a film. Interesting ideas, but nothing much else was going on in the film. His second output was a vast improvement, Oculus. Flanagan showed promise and improvement, which made me interested in seeing what else he had for future projects. Well, he has two films coming out in 2016 and I want to talk about Hush, his take on the home invasion sub-genre.

Home invasion films have been done to death. Some are great (You're Next), some are tolerable (The Strangers) and some are downright terrible (When A Stranger Calls, 2006). So how does one make their home invasion film stand out from the rest? There has to be some twist on the story to make it memorable. You're Next was a great deconstruction of the genre itself and had the heroine be a survival specialist. The twist Hush brings us lies in the fact that our protagonist if completely deaf.

The key element that makes or breaks this film is the sound design. I felt like the crew pulled it off and we have a solid thriller on our hands here. Maddie is a deaf author and she has secluded herself in a house in the woods to write her next book. Problems arise when someone outside her house decides to play a deadly game with Maddie and know she has to keep him out and escape alive. Again, this is a simple premise that is only made interesting by the fact that she is deaf and how the filmmakers decide to handle that aspect of the story.

While the film does inevitably go down routine routes with the story, Flanagan does so with skill and finesse. Multiple times throughout the film we are in Maddie's shoes as Flanagan completely mutes the audio. We see the terror happening behind her, but we cannot hear it. He can be entering the house at any point and we will not know. Flanagan manages to seep the viewer in suspense throughout the whole film and while there are some gory and squeamish scenes, he doesn't rely on them. They feel real and earned. Looking back at the film there are multiple sequences where I was taken back or had a huge grin on my face with the ingenuity of it all.

People will ultimately try to find inconsistencies with how the film handles the deaf aspect. I had maybe one issue myself, but can look past it for the benefit of the enjoyment I ultimately had because of the film. With a small cast of only four people and hardly any dialogue (maybe 15 minutes total?) Hush is a well crafted film that earns a viewing from anyone who likes this genre.

Potent home invasion thriller

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 4 January 2017]

"Hush" focuses on Maddie, a deaf-mute writer living alone in a remote house, where she is accosted one evening by a psychopath hellbent on terrorizing and murdering her.

Co-written and directed by Mike Flanagan, who many have cited as a contemporary horror maestro, "Hush" is a straightforward thriller that cuts to the chase. There's not a lot of plot; most of the film plays on the gimmick of the protagonist being unable to hear anything around her (including the noise she makes), which is a clever setup for a horror-thriller film (I'm actually surprised it wasn't done earlier).

Comparisons to "The Strangers" are abundant and probably well-deserved, as that film pioneered the post-millennial home invasion film as we know it. "Hush" reduces the equation a bit, stripping it down to a one-on-one cat-and-mouse game, so in some regard it's a much more intense film; on the other hand, it's also remarkably less scary—but that's not really what Flanagan seems to be going for here anyway. It's not a film that intends to scare or get under the skin so much as it is a sparring match between two very different people.

The film is nicely shot and there are some fantastic scenes that play on a collective home invasion paranoia that I think we all have. The gore is kept to a minimum, but what is there is extremely visceral. The performances are solid, which is vital for a film that virtually revolves around two characters; Kate Siegel (who co-wrote the film with Flanagan) stars as the deaf Maddie, and is extremely believable, while John Gallagher Jr. plays the anonymous nutjob who is more despicable than he is scary. Where the film does falter a bit is in its last act, where the gimmick begins to wear off a bit as Maddie's situation grows more and more helpless. There is an amicable payoff in the end, albeit a drawn-out one.

Overall, I found "Hush" to be a relatively well-made film, and an enjoyable riff on the home invasion setup. That said, the film does grow dull in areas, and it also offers little in the way of new ideas, but what it does do, it does with class. All in all an entertaining and fairly intense thriller for what it's worth. 7/10.

Decent tension builder

[shadowtree · 7/10 · 8 June 2019]

Found this on Netflix and decided to give it a shot. I had tried to make it through The Blackcoat's Daughter earlier in the evening, but I bailed on that and went over to Hush; by comparison, this one is much better.

The movie starts well enough by establishing Maddie's background and new situation. There is the element of Craig, her ex, who we feel may become prominent to the storyline but never does.

Once the murderer arrives, it is clear he does not want to simply murder her, he wants to toy with her for a while. He's already murdered her friend and gained access to the house, but he opts to scare her first. This is the basis of the movie and where it starts to grow.

The murderer is okay, not particularly smart, but sufficient. His assault on Sarah, followed by using her as a prop, was rather brutal. Other than that, I did not find his character notable.

Maddie is a likable character. Despite her faults, we want her to win and take that guy out. She has at least two solid opportunities to end it, and they are both in the same scene. John, Sarah's boyfriend, is moments away from knocking the murderer out with a rock when Maddie inadvertently alerts the murderer by banging on the window. As a result, John gets stabbed and his plan is foiled. All is not lost, however, as he is able to recover enough to pin the murderer and choke him out. This is all happening about 20 ft. away from Maddie outside the house. Maddie has an ideal opportunity to walk up and deliver the final blow while John has the murderer pinned, but she blows it by staying in the house. This is somewhat confusing as we later see Maddie calculating all the possible outcomes depending on what she decides to do next. She is clearly logical enough to have known to make a move when John had the murderer down, yet that forethought was not put to her advantage. That, to me, is the weakest point of the movie.

That aside, Maddie makes a good heroine. She keeps fighting and figures out how to use her lack of hearing to help her (fire alarm). Despite being put on the verge of death, she is able to hang on and turn the tide. I was cheering for her in those closing moments.

Held my breath till the credits rolled!

[tanpurepiyush · 9/10 · 9 April 2016]

Rating a 9 because it cant be any less!! I remember watching the trailer of the movie and I thought maybe its just the trailer thats good, until....i Saw this movie today!!

The actress who played the lead is so amazing as an actress and i hope to see more of her in the future!! Unlike other movies from this genre, it did not appear anything extra anywhere at all and felt more real.

The serial killer as well was amazing played by the actor!

I held on to my breath till the credits started rolling and I am still in that mood of the film created by it.

The lighting, the cinematography, the acting, direction is just so right up to the mark!

These kinda gems come only once in a while! I hope the team is reading this review someday :)

Guys you did an AMAZING job and this has been one of the most perfect horror/thrillers I have recently watched! The kinda film that will always be remembered once you watch it.

Review – Hush (2016)

[arungeorge13 · 7/10 · 5 June 2017]

'Hush' is a fast-paced modern slasher flick with a twisted take on the genre. Well, the twist here is that the lead protagonist is deaf and mute from her teens and the director-writer combo of Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel (who also happen to be husband-wife in real life), places this character in a stuck-up situation where a killer is on the prowl and all odds are stacked against her. Questions start piling up but a good thirty minutes into the film, the viewer is given enough leads to estimate where the film is headed.

A film such as this, where the entire scenario revolves around a minimalist location, one feels inclined to applaud director Flanagan's knack for not making the film look like yet another typical home-invasion flick. The protagonist Maddie's inability to speak or hear is put to good effect in the screenplay. I won't spoil those brilliantly written and choreographed scenes in this review, because that is exactly what puts this flick a few notches above the rest in the genre. Equally inventive and enthralling are those scenes where Maddie's imaginative capability is put to test.

The cast (that comprises of just four characters, out of which the film revolves majorly around two!) is adequate as well, and lends ample support to the overall mainstay of the flick. Flanagan's directorial skills, which looked rather unimpressive in Absentia (2011), after which he made a notable Oculus (2013), has considerably improved over the years, all the while sticking to modest production expenditure. Aided in writing by his wife Kate Siegel, the couple seem poised to astonish us yet again this year in the sequel to the strictly sub- par Ouija (2014).

Hush is a pleasant surprise amongst the shitload of low-budget slasher garbage that is handed out to us every now and then. It is by all means worth a watch for thriller buffs.

Not great (warning spoilers)

[jay_lanza · 4/10 · 23 June 2016]

Great idea that unfortunately fell short of what I expected. Both lead characters are made to purposefully fall short in their ability to outsmart one another by simply being mediocre at being the killer and the obvious survivor. So you're not so much glued in anticipation to the outcome, but more so find yourself waiting for the inevitable. The film loses its ability to scare you as the killer reveals himself too early, and when he does his face lessens what was already a non threatening mask. I didn't see any twists or turns and nothing made me feel surprised or shocked. Which was a shame as I felt the core of this movie was a fantastic idea.

A Very Clever Take on the "Home Invasion" Sub-Genre

[moorecameron94 · 10/10 · 8 April 2016]

To make this short and sweet, all I need to say is watch this movie. Watch it with a big group of people.

It takes a very simple plot and makes it into a very well-thought out horror movie.

The opening scenes effectively establish Maddie's story to allow the audience to get to know and care for the character.

Once the masked killer arrives, it begins as your typical cat-and-mouse game seen in every home invasion movie. The main character being deaf does allow a fresh spin on this game though. And without giving much away, the movie slowly begins to evolve into a very tense, fun ride.

Not to mention the superb acting from Kate Siegel, given the fact that she was only able to use sign language and other resources as a form of communication. You wonder throughout the film what you would do in her shoes, and you may be surprised by the logic and resourcefulness of some of her decisions.

There are several moments that would likely get an audience riled up, so grab a big group of friends and enjoy.

Surprisingly good

[lucyzweers-37255 · 7/10 · 6 September 2022]

I didn't have very high hopes for this one, but it turned out to be quite good.

I thought is was going to be another slasher movie where the character makes dumb choices the entire time, but the protagonist of this movie was actually quite smart and for once I was rooting for her and not the killer.

The premise is good too, it changes things up a bit. I liked that they sometimes cut out the sound so the viewer could experience what the main character was experiencing, that added to the movie.

The only part that I didn't like was when John was getting killed and she just stood there doing nothing. She could've gone outside and stab the killer, but she just went back inside. That was a bummer, looking at the fact that she made well considered choices throughout the rest of the movie.

All in all: 7/10. Not great, but satisfying. Definitely recommend to people who are a fan of the genre and don't mind a bit of gore :)

Shocked from the ratings!!

[nasserskr · 1/10 · 27 April 2020]

The movie has many holes Who is the killer? What is the relation between him and the deaf and her friend? How can the guy believes him as a cop and no police car or anything belongs to police !! I wasted my time

Entertaining thriller, not so much horror

[welhof1 · 7/10 · 28 October 2022]

These aren't usually my type of movies but this one wasn't bad. It all took place in the same small house which led to the creepy effect.

The villain was pretty scary. He was probably the highlight of the movie. His slow movements and the mask was a nice touch.

A lot of the weapons that were used were conveniently laying right next to the person when needed. It happened multiple times.

I just have an issue with why this deaf and mute lady would choose to live out in the middle of a forest. You would think she'd want to be around the safety of others.

Overall a very quick and effective thriller that you won't hate. I wouldn't expect much horror from it but I was thrilled!

This movie is in the Midnight Mass series universe

[Mehki_Girl · 7/10 · 25 September 2021]

In the movie, the book she wrote is called Midnight Mass, currently a 2021 series on Netflix and the characters, Riley and Erin and Father Paul are the names of characters (she plays Erin) in the series! The same director so not really a surprise, but still surprising!

Creative and Effective Thriller

[Michael_Elliott · 26 May 2016]

Hush (2016)

*** (out of 4)

Maddie (Kate Siegel) is a deaf writer who lives in a secluded house deep in the woods. She's currently struggling to find an ending to her latest novel but her world is turned upside down when a man (John Gallagher, Jr.) shows up outside her home trying to kill her.

Mike Flanagan's HUSH is the perfect example of what you can do with nice performances, a good story and some creative directing. The film certainly has some flaws along the way but for the most part this is an extremely effective thriller that uses creativity over cheap CGI effects or obnoxious loud band noises to try and get scares.

What impressed me the most was the simple storyline and how director Flanagan managed to use it to the perfect effect. The biggest issue for our female lead is that she can't hear the killer and the killer's best protection is that he can hear her. This here creates some great suspense because of scenes like where the killer is standing behind her knocking on a window but she can't tell that he's there. There are several scenes where the killer is right there making noise but our deaf person can't hear it and this just milks up the suspense.

The film really makes you understand and feel what our lead character is going through. I say this because while it's obvious what it means to be deaf, this film manages to really let you see and feel the fear that the character would be going through in this situation. The director perfectly milks all of these scenes and the screenplay is also extremely effective because of the creative scenarios that our lead has to go through.

Siegel is extremely effective in her part because she has to do so much without saying a single word. She's certainly very believable in her role and she certainly makes you believe she's a deaf woman. Gallagher, Jr. is also good in the role of the killer as he brings a certainly cold and clam nature to the role. The two work very well together and off one another.

As I said, there are some flaws including one really bad dream-like sequence but for the most part this is one of the more creative thrillers in recent years.

Had potential, loads. but let's not be harsh here

[aviator-56094 · 6/10 · 23 August 2019]

I say let's not be harsh like the people with attention span problems are. For that year , it was probably the best horror. Now the director and his gorgeous wife collab on a great setting and story. However the antagonist is quite the pooper the moment he reveals himself, not great with his demeanor lacking menace. He could be a good actor now but this film could have used a wrecked looking fella. Love the struggle bits of Katie trying to outsmart him although some parts seemed to aid her momentary escapes. The cool moments are there but the crucial ones could be excecuted or shot at different angles to enhance the trick up either sleeves of the two. It seemed okay, but big moments should have been created better. Good flick not bad at all.

I'm deaf and this movie doesn't represent me! Said a friend.

[thesouzacontact · 6/10 · 22 June 2021]

Real-life deaf people (without mental disorder) are not so clumsy. The script forced a "deaf helpless" but ended up leaving the protagonist without the other senses of the body. Any deaf person would pick up the vibrations of doors rattling, or reflections/shadows from someone nearby, smelling sweat. I almost liked it but I thought it was a bit of "pushed" agony.

One word, Flame.

[richyricch-58196 · 10/10 · 27 July 2022]

This is what a horror movie should be, no playing around but rather a straight fire from the start to the end of the movie. If you like the Korean movie, The Roundup then enjoy this masterpiece!

A fine night for home invasion without missing a beat

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 20 April 2016]

"Hush" is a stellar example of how to create intense thriller with simple premise. It starts with a small cast and modest runtime, but it capitalizes on every chance to instill any available tension. The deaf main protagonist presents exactly this kind of opportunity to exploit the already volatile situation into uniquely compelling sequences.

Kate Siegel as the hearing impaired heroine is trapped on her own house by a stalker. This is not the typical slasher with random scrabbling or plate tossing. It's a meticulously drawn condition with grave danger on every step. This might give the movie slightly slow pace, but Kate Siegel performs admirably as the lead.

She works by gestures nearly the entire time, the movie sets this up pretty well with opening intro of her interacting with her neighbor. There are clear signs of panic as she goes through the night and her survival odd dwindles. It's also a clever way to present the perimeter around the house without the protagonist being too conveniently saved or stupid for the sake of plot.

With a shorter than average runtime, "Hush" gives out the very essence of thriller movie, it's enjoyably riveting with carefully crafted condition.

Doesn't take long for it to become just another home-invasion movie

[Coffee_in_the_Clink · 5/10 · 1 February 2020]

"Hush" begins with an interesting and unique concept that makes it look like it has the potential to differentiate itself from the usual home invasion film. A deaf and mute writer is targeted by a killer in her isolated house in the woods. The simple fact that she is deaf and mute is what offers something unique but that is where it ends. It doesn't take long for "Hush" to play up all the cliches involving phones, lone neighbours stumbling over and getting themselves killed, and a stupid ending with the done-to-death finish, where the killer has the lead pinned to the ground, strangling the life out of them, before they conveniently reach out and just grab some random weapon before driving it through the villains throat. I'll give it the 5 star average for the tense atmosphere. And it was disturbing in parts. But other than that I can't recommend it.

An unexpected delight

[JasmineSnape · 8/10 · 6 October 2021]

When going into this movie I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't sure how a deaf protagonist would manage to outwit/outlast a psycho stalker, which is why I picked it out to begin with. Nothing has ever been done like this before and I was really interested to see how it played out. As far as horror movies go, I never hold my breath - don't get me wrong, I love them when they are done right, but so often they are just done so poorly. This one was done right and I was on the edge of my seat the majority of it. Definately worth a watch.

Disappointed

[erolsabadosh · 6/10 · 10 April 2016]

The film started off quite well from the outset, with a nice setup. Having the main character be deaf is interesting, but unfortunately it doesn't pay off very well. There's not much buildup to the game of cat and mouse that makes up the bulk of the story and so the viewer is thrust into the action in a way that seriously lessens its impact. There are flashes of promise in the first ten or so minutes but after that it's a fairly clichéd survival horror that doesn't offer anything spectacular. Some fleeting moments of tension and shock make it worth a one time watch if you're curious, but don't go into it with high expectations.

Annoying

[energy_ucoz · 5/10 · 10 November 2020]

Movie wasn't bad but wasn''t good ether. First of all, who was the killer, why he killed. I really hated when, her friends boyfriends came and started to choke killer, but she was just standing there and watching.... Really? Just take the knife and stab him while u can.... Such a dumb choices...