Hush: Mike Flanagan's Fantastic Fan-Favorite Thriller Finally Gets a Long-Overdue Physical Release (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

Writer/director Mike Flanagan has been working in the industry for over 20 years, but has only really come into prominence in the last decade or so with projects like "The Haunting of Hill House," "Doctor Sleep," "Midnight Mass," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." However, before all of that, one of his works that really helped bring him to the public's attention was a little thriller called "Hush," which had never seen a physical release due to a licensing agreement with Netflix. Luckily that agreement expired last year, and Shout! Studios has swooped in to give it such a release on 4K/Blu-ray so fans can finally bring it home to own, so now it's time to go back and see what made this fan-favorite work of Flanagan's stand out and kick-start a rather impressive career.

Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) is a deaf-mute author who had great success with her first book and has recently moved to an isolated house in the woods to work on her next one. Unfortunately she finds herself having a bit of trouble with it, but writer's block turns out to be the least of her problems when a random masked man (John Gallagher Jr.) shows up with a crossbow and threatens to kill her. What should've been another ordinary night working on her book turns into a terrifying fight for survival and a desperate search for a way out of her horrifying situation.

"Hush" is one of those little thrillers that has a very simple premise at its core, and I don't mean that in a negative way at all. Sometimes all a filmmaker needs is a simple set-up as a foundation to deliver thrills, suspense, and an engaging tale that will have the viewer completely wrapped up in what they're watching, which is exactly what ends up happening in this surprisingly gripping game of cat & mouse. At first, it may seem obvious as to who's hunting who, but we soon find that it's not as clear as it was at the start. After all, what fun would there be in watching a one-sided fight?

Flanagan and his co-screenwriter, star Kate Siegel, keep the film laser-focused on this confrontation for almost the entirety of its runtime, with only a brief introduction before throwing us into Maddie's life-or-death situation. From there, there's hardly a wasted moment as we watch these two go head-to-head, trying to outsmart each other at every turn, with the mysterious killer trying to get in and claim another victim, and Maddie trying to get away or kill him first. Ramping up the tension even more is the fact that she is at a severe disadvantage in being unable to hear, forcing her to depend on sight and other senses to track his movements, and making it even more incredible when she's able to out-maneuver him on a few occasions.

By the end of the film's brief runtime (it runs less than 80 minutes without credits), it's done exactly what it set out to do, which is to give you a thrilling, engaging experience without wasting its time or overstaying its welcome. On that basis, it's hardly a surprise that Flanagan's career sprang forward from here, giving him the chance to deliver other intriguing projects on a much bigger scale ("The Haunting of Hill House" from just two years later remains a particularly incredible stand-out). He certainly proved that he had a knack for this kind of thing, and that sometimes simple and to the point is best, which is exactly why, even after all he's done since, people still talk about a fantastic little thriller like "Hush."

Video/Audio:

This edition of "Hush" comes with the film in two different versions (the Original Cut and the black & white "Shush Cut," which features a new audio mix) in both 4K (2160p UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p HD). Both transfers of both cuts are absolutely stunning, presenting the film in a beautifully sharp & clear fashion throughout its entire brief duration. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Shout! Studios has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's long-awaited physical debut.

Special Features:

Disc 1: 4K, Original Version

Audio Commentary with Mike Flanagan, Actor & Co-Writer Kate Siegel, and Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Trucco

Disc 2: 4K, "Shush Cut"

Audio Commentary with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel

Disc 3: Blu-ray, Original Version & "Shush Cut"

Audio Commentary with Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Trucco (Original Version)

Audio Commentary with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel ("Shush Cut")

Disc 4: Blu-ray, Special Features

Feature-Length Picture-in-Picture Video Commentary with Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Trucco (Original Version)

Interviews with Mike Flanagan (28 Minutes), Kate Siegel (20 Minutes), Samantha Sloyan (5 Minutes), John Gallagher Jr. (29 Minutes), Michael Trucco (9 Minutes), Producer Trevor Macy (8 Minutes), Composers The Newton Brothers (10 Minutes), and Director of Photography James Kniest (8 Minutes)

Included with this release are a pair of fantastic commentaries, one with Flanagan & the entire cast for the Original Version and another with just Flanagan & Siegel for the "Shush Cut," as well as about two hours of interviews with Flanagan, all four actors, and more. Definitely more than enough great material here for anyone wanting to learn more about the film.

Conclusion:

Mike Flanagan's "Hush" takes a rather simple premise of a deaf-mute woman fighting for her life against a serial killer and uses it to deliver a thrilling, suspenseful, and gripping experience that always remains focused and doesn't overstay its welcome with its remarkably brief runtime. At long last, this fan-favorite work of Flanagan's is finally getting a physical release thanks to the folks at Shout! Studios, presenting the film in outstanding quality and including a pair of fascinating commentaries & several interviews, and ultimately making this a very easy recommendation to add to your personal collection.

Score: 4/5

Available on 4K/Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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