Hush (2016)

written by Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel

directed by Mike Flanagan

A lone woman in a cottage in the woods. A killer outside trying to get in. The twist? She’s deaf. The only tools at her disposal are her own eyes. Can she outsmart him, even when she can’t hear where he is?

It’s a different take on the slasher genre, and after seeing his films Absentia (2011) and Oculus (2013), it is evident that director Mike Flanagan has a good sense for pacing and style. However, Hush is not inventive enough, suffering from a “been there done that” weariness. And since the madman unmasks early on, we are pretty much left with a pretty boy asshole with a crossbow. What’s so scary about that?

Rating: **

Carlos I. Cuevas