Return To Silent Hill: Poised To Be The Best Video Game Movie Ever Made

The early days of 2026 are set to see the arrival of Return to Silent Hill, which has a chance to be the best video game movie ever made. January is often a dumping ground for films but a handful of hidden gems have come out that month and Return to Silent Hill can end up among those projects.

A while back, being the best movie based on a video game wasn't a high bar to clear. However, that has changed in recent years with the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Detective Pikachu, among others. Return to Silent Hill has all the makings of joining that exclusive company.

Return To Silent Hill Is Based On A Critically Acclaimed Game

A good place to start when determining if a movie based on a video game will be good is to look at the game itself. While it's not a requirement, it's a great starting point if the game itself was well-received. Thankfully, Return to Silent Hill is based on Silent Hill 2, which is a critically acclaimed project.

In fact, Silent Hill 2 is considered by many to be one of the best horror video games ever made. The story, following a man who visits Silent Hill after he receives a letter from his deceased wife asking him to meet her there, is gripping and heavily emotional, which should translate well to the big screen.

Even if a movie features things like lackluster CGI and mediocre acting, a good story can make it work. So no matter what happens with Return to Silent Hill, if they nail the storyline from the game, it'll be a very good film.

The Trailer Shows It Will Pull Greatly From Silent Hill 2

When the first trailers for Return to Silent Hill were released, fans of the game could tell that a lot of it was pulled from Silent Hill 2. The 2006 Silent Hill film had elements from the original 1999 video game, but it had enough changes made for it to be a bit too different.

Characters like Cybil and Dahlia were included, as were some story aspects but other things were mixed. Pyramid Head (renamed Red Pyramid for the film) was involved though he's actually from Silent Hill 2 and the protagonist was changed from Harry to Rose.

A few years later, a sequel titled Silent Hill: Revelation was released and was met with poor reviews and again, wasn't similar enough to the games that were a hit. However, Return to Silent Hill seems to be very similar to Silent Hill 2 in almost every aspect that we can see.

The setting looks nearly identical, the protagonist is properly named James Sunderland, the storyline is pretty much the same, and even the monsters attacking the characters are the same. From the game's iconic nurses to the lying creatures, the trailer looks like it was pulled from the games.

If Return to Silent Hill is just close enough to how great Silent Hill 2 is, it should end up as one of the best video game films ever made.

The Director From The Underrated First Silent Hill Film Is Back

Another positive aspect of Return to Silent Hill comes from the man in the director's chair. Christopher Gans will be handling these duties and he was the man behind the 2006 film. While that wasn't a critically acclaimed movie, Silent Hill remains an underrated horror movie.

Gans knows how to do visually impressive horror, like when Pyramid Head ripped off a woman's skin or the intense nature of every scene involving monsters in Silent Hill. He's also someone who knows the world of the franchise, meaning he comes in with a leg up on anyone else who would've helmed the project.

Christopher Gans is also one of the co-writers on Return to Silent Hill, meaning he knows exactly what is needed in the director's chair. That's always a benefit. Gans also worked as a fight choreographer in the past, which means he should be able to make sure the action in this horror movie is great.

Akira Yamaoka Being Back Is A Big Deal

An underrated aspect of what could make Return to Silent Hill work so well is that Akira Yamaoka is back. That name might not be familiar to everyone but Yamaoka is a Japanese composer who has done the music from the entire Silent Hill franchise.

Having Yamaoka do the music for Return to Silent Hill ensures that this will have the trademark franchise feel. In fact, the trailer features songs that are clearly pulled from the games. Some of the songs that Yamaoka have composed are iconic in video game history and are going to be part of this movie.

With a director who knows the series, music by Akira Yamaoka, and story elements from one of the best horror video games ever made, Return to Silent Hill has everything it needs to succeed.