Return to Silent Hill director threatens another return to Silent Hill despite abysmal reviews: ‘plenty of people are thinking I’m doing a pretty good job’

Return to Silent Hill has finally opened in theaters, and boy do people have opinions about it. After it first started getting reviews from critics, I though it’d be one of those cases of “hated by critics, loved by fans,” but that just doesn’t seem to be true.

Which isn’t stopping the film’s director from dreaming about making more Silent Hill movies, and more movie adaptations in general. Why? Because, as he says, “plenty of people are thinking I’m doing a pretty good job.”

Speaking with Variety, Return to Silent Hill director Christoph Gans spoke about how he would love to do more of Silent Hill in the future, having done two of them in 2006 and 2026, respectively. Two decades spent with one franchise is a lot, and it seems Gans has a genuine passion for it, since, as he says, it is one of those IPs that are so different and intriguing that they can be viewed as something with genuine artistic merit.

“‘I’m not looking at Silent Hill only as a great video game. I’m looking at it as a piece of modern art. It has something really edgy and experimental,” Gans explained.

Which is why he would love to revisit it again after Return: “If I have the opportunity, we’ll come back to Silent Hill once more.”

Gans concluded by saying that “plenty of people are thinking I’m doing a pretty good job,” though I cannot imagine who he might be talking about.

He finished the movie for just around $23 million, so it could be the financial department. The production team, maybe? Or the actors for being treated well? Whoever it is, it’s certainly not either the audience or the critics, who have been hammering the movie ever since they laid their eyes upon it.

Contrasted to the 2006 release, Return to Silent Hill isn’t hitting it off with anyone, it seems, with an average IMDB score of 4.4 (compared to 5.9 with critics alone), whereas the original film has about 6.5. Rotten Tomatoes has it at only 15 percent with critics and around 30 with casual moviegoers, sharply beneath the original’s 34 and 63, respectively.

In fact, it has a worse audience score than Silent Hill: Revelation, a universally hated movie except among fans of disasterpieces and so-bad-it’s-good stuff.

At any rate, Gans’ passion shouldn’t be underappreciated. I love it when a director or producer genuinely holds the IP they’re working with in high regard. And that shows: Return to Silent Hill‘s trailers do indicate a strong understanding of the franchise, but it appears that isn’t enough to make a movie, nor are aesthetics and experimental concepts the only things that made Silent Hill as good as it is.

Its characters, emotional story, thematic depth, and everything in-between are what matter. Sure, it’s innovative in many ways and especially as a horror game, but that’s all secondary, which the film apparently doesn’t understand.

Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy