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Tuesday, April 12, 2016

5 characters and one location create suspense: Hush

On Netflix, there is movie called Hush. It only features 5 characters but executes suspense extremely well, considering it's shot in one location and never leaves this scene at any point during filming.

A female lead character plays the protagonist, who happens to be deaf/mute. She had a bout with meningitis at age 13, which caused her to go deaf and also damaged her voice box.

Interestingly, this protagonist plays a best-selling author. She lives alone in the woods. Her home is constructed with plenty of glass windows, empowering the natural lighting to enhance her mood.  

This disability sets up the conflict. We see a murder take place. A serial killer is on the loose, standing right outside of the protagonist's patio while he is killing his victim. Our protagonist can't help this victim because she is unable to hear her scream. Plus, this protagonist is a female with a disability. It is obvious she lacks in strength, unable to go toe-to-toe with this psychotic antagonist.

Hush is clever in execution, as a normal person experiencing this terror would be at a major disadvantage. Out in the middle of the woods, there is nobody capable of helping this deaf/mute woman in time. We know of her neighbor, a couple who befriended this protagonist.

The female neighbor is a friend who visits regularly to check on the well-being of this protagonist. On the opposing side, the plot thickens and we watch through the eyes of the protagonist how terror feels when a person is faced with many obstacles to stay alive. It's during this time, the protagonist is confronted with many challenges to keep ahead of the game.

Although this storyline has limitations, possibly due to budget constraints, the screenwriters keep the suspense high. Only 5 characters are featured in this movie, one of which is seen on computer Facetime for less than a few minutes. We have a protagonist, an antagonist, a sister, and a nearby couple. It doesn't require multiple settings and several characters to inject thrills into a movie plot.  

Definitely watch Hush, a clever home invasion movie that will put you on the edge of your chair. It creates that Strangers and No Good Deed movie feel.




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