I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Hush’, a film recommended to me on Netflix because of my binge watching habits with MTV’s Scream. For a film that was barely longer than 80 minutes, I have to say I felt completely invested and captivated in a story that basically boils down to a basic thriller plot of home invasion.
The film depicts Maddie, a deaf and mute woman, living in almost in isolation except for a couple of neighbours. The nameless masked male assailant chooses to cruelly mess with Maddie, choosing to make her suffer rather than going straight in for the kill. This provides a tense yet simple plot as Maddie’s multiple attempts to escape are thwarted by the taunting murderer, who looks to block her every exit.
It is this simplicity that I enjoyed the most, the setting remains confined within the setting of Maddie’s home and with a grand total of 5 casted characters, there little to confuse or ruin such a bare bones plotline. There was simply a helpless state of isolation and panic, that slowly grows as Maddie’s efforts become more and more desperate.
I thought the deafness was an interesting addition to the film. I thought in particular, the opening kitchen scenes truly showed a sense of isolation that deafness can sometimes bring. This aspect was often played on in the film, and more often than not, to good effect. I think from a disability aspect, we perhaps see that Maddie is not as weak as the murderer assumes her to be. Despite the vulnerable figure that a deaf/mute heroine would normally represent, Maddie becomes a true fighter and one you will back until the very end.
A highly enjoyable film full of suspense and tension, ‘Hush’ is now showing on Netflix and I highly recommend a watch to anyone currently deciding what to watch film to watch next.
