HUSH

US, 2016, 82 minutes, Colour.
Katie Siegel, John Gallagher Jr, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, Emma Graves.
Directed by Mike Flanagan.

Hush, directed by Mike Flanagan, was co-written with his wife, Katie Siegel, the star of the film. Flanagan has had later success with some horror series for Netflix, also starring his wife.

The action for this film takes place over one evening. And it is confined to a house in the countryside and its grounds, but especially to its interiors.

Katie Siegel plays a successful novelist who is now deaf and mute, following an episode of meningitis when she was 13. She lives alone, works on her computer, trying to end her second novel. She also tries cooking but not succeeding and, when her friend and neighbour, Sarah, comes to visit her, the meal goes up in flames, setting off bright fire alarm with a piercing sound, later to be important for the film).

She settles in for the night, has another phone call from another friend, who notices something in the background of the screen.

A mysterious stands outside and anonymous man, wearing a mask, visit her window, stabbing her friend and neighbour viciously to death. The rest of the film, once he gets her attention, menaces and threatens her. She uses her wits, locking herself in the house, setting her car signals, distracting as he destroys the car. He has a bow and arrow. In the interactions, both are wounded and have to tend to their wounds.

She uses her ingenuity about the assailant often gets the better of her. When her neighbour’s boyfriend turns up, the killer pretends to be the police and then kills him.

Ultimately, there is a sequence where she hears her inner voice, sees her alternate self, visualises various destructive scenarios, but finally confronts the killer, but with the sounds of the alarm, in the kitchen with spray and a screwdriver and vanquishes him.

Katie Siegel is very effective as the novelist. John Gallagher Jr has to be one of the most misogynistic killers on screen. The film was released just as the Me #Too Movement and awareness of sexual violence towards women was becoming more prominent in public awareness.

1. A brief thriller? Home invasion? Victim? Aggressor? Turning the tables?

2. The setting, over one night? The house, the grounds, the exteriors? The interiors, the rooms, doors and windows, kitchen, lounge, upstairs, the roof? Authentic and atmospheric? The musical score – and limitations because of Maddie’s being deaf?

3. The situation with Maddie, the background of the meningitis, 13, losing her hearing, unable to speak, able to lip read? Successful novelist? Her own self-image? The computer, trying to write the new novel, the seven endings, her disappointment in herself? Her comment about hearing a voice, her mother’s voice inside her? Phones, the alarm system and the bright light, the messages from Carl? Her ignoring them?

4. The visit from Sara, cheery, Sarah reading the book, the happy conversation? Maddie and her cooking, not going well, the taste, the fire alarm and the meal burnt, throwing it out? Her settling in for the night?

5. The Man at the window, the shock of his stabbing Sarah so viciously? Maddie not seeing or hearing anything? The phone call from Max, the happy conversation, Max and her seeing something moving?

6. Most of the film occupied with Maddie inside the house, locking doors and windows? The Man, outside, appearing, the mask, the threats, Maddie lipreading? His bow and arrows?

7. Maddie writing on the window, not seeing his face, his removing his mask? The range of threats? Maddie and the knife, the hammer? Going upstairs, on the roof, the leg wounded, attending it?

8. Alarms, The Man destroying the car?

9. The action on the roof, made his wound, wounding The Man? Back inside the house?

10. John, Sarah’s boyfriend, coming to the door, The Man posing as the police, plausible, John identifying himself, the wound, getting the rock, The Man attacking, killing John after John’s attempt to wound him?

11. Maddie inside the house, her inner voice, her other self, going through the possibilities for saving herself, the visualising of alternate and her being wounded and killed? With the bow and arrow, her vain attempts to set the arrow?

12. The final confrontation, The Man’s mortality, his wounds, almost killing Maddie, sound and light of the alarm, the kitchen, the spray, the screwdriver, her vanquishing him?

13. Audiences identifying with Maddie? The repellent villain? Extremely misogynistic?