Silhouette

Silhouette tells the story of grieving couple Jack and Amanda. After the death of their daughter, they move to a new home in hopes of starting a new chapter in their life. Not long after they arrive in their new home, though, the sins of their past come back to haunt them in a real way.

This is a well-crafted indie flick with plenty of tension. If you’re a regular reader you know how much I love when a movie makes you wonder if there’s some paranormal shit going on of if the protagonist is going nuts. Silhouette delivers that in spades. The real difference is that you are made well aware that Amanda is damaged. That’s generous, really. I think it is more realistic to say that the grief she feels over her daughter’s death pushed the cheese right off her cracker. The question still remains through most of the film.

The Story

The plot of this one is really simple. Amanda and Jack are trying to deal with the death of their daughter. They move to a new house and either the ghost of their daughter is haunting them or Amanda has completely lost her mind. Shortly after moving in, they meet their closest neighbor. A younger woman named Dawn.

Jack starts smoking and drinking again and ends up trying to fuck Dawn at the bar. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Amanda is going crazier and her visions of past events and the ghost of her daughter are getting more and more vivid. In the end, it is revealed that both Jack and Amanda are staying true to their pattern: she’s fucking crazy and he’s a serial cheater. There are some other big reveals but you’ll have to check the movie out for all of that.

What Did I Like about Silhouette?

There was a lot to like in this movie. The cinematography was solid as hell. There are some early scenes where Amanda is talking to her therapist. When the camera is on Amanda it is shaky and a little grainy and it is clean and steady on the therapist. Really enjoyed that.

There was a ton of tension. Seriously, this movie is uncomfortable to watch. Everyone does really great at portraying their character. Sometimes it feels like you’re sitting in the room watching a couple fight. If you’ve ever been that unfortunate third wheel, you know how uncomfortable it can get. The fact that Amanda’s mental health is eroding which is destroying Jacks resolve really adds to the tension.

There’s this flashback/delusion where Amanda is seeing a vision of Jack fucking another woman the night their daughter died. This is one of the coolest scenes in the film. The audio is distorted and warped so much that there are subtitles for the dialog. The scene is done with this stark red lighting that made me think of Suspiria or Bloody Ballet. While I know that it was supposed to be some kind of evil vision, it was downright erotic. It’s not a graphic sex scene and there’s no real nudity but it was fucking hot. Definitely the trippyest most erotic scene I’ve watched this year.

What Didn’t I Like?

I didn’t like literally anybody in this film. While I understand that Amanda is a deeply troubled woman who is going through some serious shit, I just can’t stand her. For most of the film, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

I almost understand why Jack is stepping out on her. At the same time, fuck Jack too. He’s such a douchebag. Seriously, during the scene in the bar the guy just goes into these dumbass emo monologues about things like smoking his first cigarette in years and how unhappy his marriage is.

Jack is fucking insufferable and Dawn fucking eats it up!  I don’t think you were meant to like anyone in this movie though.

I honestly believe that Silhouette was made to make you feel uncomfortable. Having a character with which you could truly relate would take away from that a little bit.

Final Thoughts

All in all, would I recommend this film? Not to just anybody. If you’re into a good psychological thriller with some possible supernatural elements, give this a shot. If you like movies that make you feel a little uneasy, this one will do that for you. This film, while not an extreme title by any means, isn’t for everyone.