Silhouette
| Written by: Mitch McLeod | Directed by: Mitch McLeod | Genre: Horror | Length: 114 minutes |
| “Silhouette is a title designed to slowly burn away at you. To chip around the edges until nothing is left but dread. |
| Married couple Jack (Tom Zembrod) and Amanda (April Hartman) have left it all behind, got a new place and are attempting to start over. After the loss of their daughter, their combined grief has all but broke them apart. As a new chapter in their lives begins, they find it almost impossible to let go of the past. But there’s more. Jack was also caught cheating on his wife. His infidelity directly plays a role in the story of this film and although the 2 are attempting to start over, Amanda’s anger and grief are always just below the surface. Especially when their neighbor stops by to introduce herself. Dawn (Jessica Dawn Willis) is young and pretty. Just the way Jack likes his woman according to his wife. Immediately old memories seem to surface and the already unstable Amanda is put further on edge. All I’ve written above isn’t even the meat and potatoes of this story. Silhouette ‘is’ a horror film after all. It’s when Amanda begins seeing and hearing ghosts, more specifically their daughter, this titles true colors finally begin to emerge. All this is set within a strained marriage, within grief and loss, and within an atmosphere devoid of trust. As the film progresses, and we see more and more ghostly sightings, you may find yourself wondering if this is actually a case of insanity? Is Mitch McLeod’s title actually about stress related mental illness? Maybe. Or maybe the couples poltergeist daughter has a ‘reason’ for returning. Either way, Silhouette is a title designed to slowly burn away at you. To chip around the edges until nothing is left but dread. The results? Hit and miss. The lens work and audio of Silhouette are a roadmap of how to do things correctly. It all blends together well and adds a very cinematic look for the film. Completely opposite what you expect a micro budget title to look like. Complimenting the cinematic aspects are some excellent performances by April Hartman, Tom Zembrod and Jessica Willis respectively. As the leading lady, Hartman commands the screen when she’s in frame; and the chemistry between herself and Zembrod is unmistakable. The onscreen performances of this trio add depth and a believable nature to this production. Even during the ghostly scenes. Going back to the slow burning nature of Silhouette brings me to the length. This title is so much longer than it should have been. Or ‘needed’ to have been. I had to watch it in 2 sittings and when you think about all the good stuff I wrote above, that should tell you how long it feels. Lots of titles are 2 hours or more. But some, like this one, never should have been. Someone during post production should have said: Hey! The movie is great but maybe a little long? Nobody did. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should and had Silhouette been cut differently, mainly shorter, I’m fairly certain I would have given it at least a 4 star review. Maybe a little more. It all comes down to this. Individually, all the pieces point to not only a good movie, but a great one. An interesting premise. Some great production work and some excellent casting. I really did consider a higher rating but it all came down to this. I had to watch this title in 2 sessions. I ‘know’ that if the movie had only been 90 minutes or a hair under, I wouldn’t have had that problem. Silhouette was still a good movie with enough to keep genre lovers hooked. If you don’t absolutely love the genre though, this may be a little long in the tooth for you. Silhouette Trailer from Film Conspiracy Group on Vimeo.
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