HUSH (2016)

4 stars

Arrow Video. Limited Edition 4K. 13th July

HUSH is a gripping variation on the much explored masked serial killer sub genre directed by Mike Flanagan, a filmmaker who has proven himself to be a master of horror with movies like GERALD’S GAME (2017) and DOCTOR SLEEP (2019) and TV shows like THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (2018) and FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (2023).

Here, he is working from a script written with his wife Kate Siegel (who often appears in his productions). She plays Maddie, a deaf and mute writer trying to pen her follow up novel to her first book – interestingly her debut was called ‘Midnight Mass’, also the name of a 2021 series made by Flanagan. She is living in an isolated house in the woods with few neighbours and just her cat, fetchingly called Bitch, for company, as she struggles to formulate a new story.

Her friend Sarah (Samantha Sloyan) pops by to return a copy of her novel, and to practice her sign language – much to Maddie’s amusement as she gets things wrong.

That night Sarah is killed outside Maddie’s house, by our killer, who uses a crossbow and knife, but of course her cries for help go unheard. Our protagonist soon finds herself in a game of cat and mouse as she is targeted to be the next victim of our cold blooded murderer.

What follows is a cracking nail biter, with Flanagan using sound (plus the lack of it barring ambient noise) to full effect. Siegel is fantastic in the lead and the film, at just 82 minutes, rattles along as the duo play cat and mouse, as Sarah tries to survive the night.

This release has both the colour and black and white version on 2 discs. Interestingly it has been remade twice in India!

EXTRAS

DISC 1 – ORIGINAL VERSION

Audio commentary with co-writer/director Mike Flanagan, co-writer/actor Kate Siegel, and actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr. and Michael Trucco plus Picture-in-picture commentary with Flanagan, Siegel, Sloyan, Gallagher Jr., and Trucco

Interviews with Mike Flanagan; Kate Siegel; Samantha Sloyan; John Gallagher Jr.; Michael Trucco; Trevor Macy; composers The Newton Brothers; cinematographer James Kniest

Original trailer and Image gallery

DISC 2 – SHUSH CUT (Black and white)

Audio commentary with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel

Mike Flanagan Artist Talk, a feature-length Q&A with the filmmaker, recorded at Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal in 2024

Beyond Fest Q&A with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel, recorded at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles in 2024

The Silent Mask, a brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on the film’s representation of deafness

You also get reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais and Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, Kat Ellinger, Amanda Reyes and Eloise Ross