Hush (DVD)

Hush pulls off an impressive trick. This is a cat and mouse thriller with very few characters and a pretty simple set-up, but while you’re waiting for the inevitable moment where it’ll run out of steam and get boring, it never does. Even more amazing is that it manages to be a genuinely good suspense thriller, while also being British. To be honest I’d almost thought we were incapable of making them anymore, unless we turned them into full-on horror movies, like Eden Lake.

A couple, Zakes and Beth, are travelling along the motorway on a rainy evening when the shutter on the back of a truck momentarily lifts up to reveal a naked, terrified woman. Unsure what to do, the couple debate whether to get involved or whether they should just call the police. Furious that Zakes hasn’t done more to help, Beth storms off at a service station, but when Zakes can’t find her, he realises that she must have been snatched by the truck driver. This sets off a tense cat and mouse chase, as Zakes tries to rescue his girlfriend, only to become prey himself for a killer who reveals himself to be relentless and vicious.

While Hush has moments that stretch credibility to breaking point, the film overcomes this with a pounding pace and an incredibly tense atmosphere. Writer/director Mark Tonderai is incredibly inventive in keeping the momentum going, ensuring that every time it looks like they’ve dried up the possibilities of the set-up he shoves Zakes into a new situation and mines more tension. He does this by actually giving the movie a plot and characters, so that rather than just being a random series of setpieces where Zakes nearly dies or nearly rescues his girlfriend, it always feels like it’s moving forward, both story-wise and for the characters. This is something that eludes most similar movies but makes a massive difference. It also ensures that when things turn violent, as they occasionally do, it’s even more effective (one scene in particular, featuring a character who’s been nailed to the floor, it particularly effective).

Kudos must also go to William Ash, the young actor playing Zakes, who’s in pretty much every scene and for much of the time is the only person on screen. He holds things together admirably, keeping the energy up and selling some of the less believable aspects very well. While some viewers will be slightly annoyed that more isn’t revealed about the killer and his motives – you never even see his face – even this is a fairly effective tactic as it adds to the tension and doesn’t really effect the journey the main characters are on.

It all makes for a far better movie than you’d expect, and a welcome reminder that while most suspense thrillers are a waste of film, when done well they can be incredibly entertaining.

The DVD also comes with a decent selection of special features, including a couple of interesting interviews with Tonderai, as well as a selection of short featurettes looking at various aspects of the filmmaking process and some deleted scenes. Admittedly they’re all fairly short, but it’s a far better selection than on most comparable DVDs, and they all actually add value to the package and are well worth taking a flick through.

Overall Verdict: A great, British suspense thriller that deserves a far wider audience than it’s had so far.

Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Mark Tonderai
Interview With Mark Tonderai
Interview With William Ash
Artist On Artist Interview: Noel Clarke Interview Mark Tonderia
Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary
Seven Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes

Reviewer: Tim Isaac