I never played the video game so this review is based solely on the film as a standalone. In that regard, it has to rate as one of my favorite horror flicks of all time, second or (perhaps) third after John Carpenter's _The Thing_ [1982]. I've no idea who came up with the creatures in this film (or the video game) or how such monstrosities ever formed in someone's mind but this movie has some of the coolest (i.e. _most hideous, most terrifying, most nightmarish_ ) monster/creatures that I've seen in a movie. Even today (this is not my first time to watch it; I think it's my fourth.) after 17 years, it still stands the test of time, in my opinion, and rates up there with the best of them. It _does_ have some "jump scare" moments, but the movie overall just has a really spooky, eerie feel to it...which, of course, almost any movie with a band of fanatical _"Let's purge the world by crucifying anyone that's not already part of our congregation"_ would have. Again, since I've never played the video game, I have absolutely no concept of whether the movie is "true to the game" or not but as a standalone movie, it has a great storyline that's easy to follow. The lighting is good throughout (there are some scenes shot in darkness but deliberately so rather than just being the result of bad lighting) and the musical score is excellent as well. The main flaw - and this is undoubtedly just me, since I'm unfamiliar with the game - is that I don't understand the ending. That doesn't necessarily mean it's confusing; it was just confusing to ME. Perhaps it makes perfect sense to those who are familiar with the _Silent Hill_ video game but I had difficulty understanding what happened at the end. (Again, this is my fourth time to watch this and I _still_ don't understand the ending.)

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of horror films, whether you've ever played the video game or not. This stands on its own merit and still - after 7 years - remains one of my favorite horror films of all time.

PS: I still don't understand why people think Johnny Cash was a great singer. (Watch the movie and you'll understand that comment.)