With a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and directed by the same person who brought us Oculus and the upcoming movie Ouija: Origin of Evil, Hush is another one of Mike Flanagan's great horror film creations. This psychological horror film had its first world-premiere at South by Southwest and was released in the Spring of this year.
1. Advocates women’s strength and success.
In most, if not all, horror movies, women are most likely portrayed as either weak, naive, irrational, dependent on others or chosen to be defeated. But Hush completely turns that around when throughout the entire movie, Maddie, the protagonist, gets even stronger mentally and physically throughout the whole movie as she works to figure out how to survive and fight the killer. Despite the accumulating obstacles she ends up facing, her vigor and intellect make women all over proud to be who we are.
2. Breaks Deaf stereotypes.
For many who aren’t well-informed about Deaf culture, some would mistakenly assume Deaf people aren’t able to defend themselves as well as others (though, they are just as capable and intelligent) and Hush definitely proves this assumption to be otherwise when Maddie, the leading character who is Deaf and lives alone manages to kick ass and be her own protector. One of my favorite scenes shows how her inability to hear ends up being her strength in the end. (I’ll leave the watching to you to see what I’m talking about.)
3. Breaks the house cliché.
Don't you hate it when characters in a scary movie leave their windows uncovered, allowing the bad guy to watch them from outside? Or when the characters decide to travel to a place in isolation? Well, although Hush has this, the makers of this movie end up flipping these clichés, providing reasonable explanations for them. Because Maddie is Deaf, it makes it reasonable for her to have everything bright and visible everywhere, leaving her windows uncovered. As for her isolation, she went there to have a comfortable space to write, which is what she does professionally.
4. The characters are smart and weigh out their options.
You know those parts of a movie when one of the characters fall for the antagonist’s act of playing innocent? And how no matter how many times you shout at the screen to warn them about what's to come, they’ll still make the bad decision looking like a fool?
In this movie, none of them fall for the act. One of them immediately notices something is up and tries to do something about it in a careful way. One of my favorite parts about this movie is when we see Maddie carefully weighing out her options rather than just acting imprudently. When she realizes her first two choices won't work out at all, she comes to a decision and goes all the way with it.
5. Keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Ironically, what makes you even more interested with this movie is how there isn't a big cast. We're only mainly focused on two people throughout most of the movie and it makes you curious to see how the protagonist will endeavor. I'm not lying when I say my eyes were eagerly open the entire time, waiting to see what would happen next. (Take it from someone who, guiltily, tends to fall asleep a lot during movies.) There were more than a couple of moments where I jolted out of fear, knocking over a cup or two of water on the ground.
If Hush doesn't entertain you as well as it did for me, one thing for sure is that you'll be glad to experience a scary movie that'll definitely please your need for characters to finally not make unintelligent decisions and have a satisfying ending!
