Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tense horror has bloody violence, strong language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Hush
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 75 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is a suspenseful horror film that is both engaging and intensely violent, featuring graphic scenes of blood and injury that contribute to its thrilling atmosphere. While it showcases a strong independent female protagonist who is deaf and fights against her assailant, many reviews highlight concerns about its maturity level, deeming it too graphic for younger viewers, generally recommending it for ages 14 and up due to its intense content and language.
- suspenseful atmosphere
- strong protagonist
- graphic violence
- recommended for teens
- not for younger kids
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In HUSH, Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) is a deaf novelist who lives alone in the middle of the woods so that she can work on her next book and get some perspective after breaking up with her boyfriend. But her tranquility is shattered when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) turns up at her door. When he realizes that Maddie is deaf, he steals her phone and intimidates her by sending pictures and texts from inside the house. As the cat-and-mouse game develops, Maddie realizes that the only way to survive is to outsmart the killer.
Is It Any Good?
This movie puts a new spin on the familiar "trapped alone and isolated with a monster" horror movie, but parts of it still feel formulaic. Hush's gory violence feels rote. The lead character, Maddie, offers a positive on-screen example of a deaf woman who isn't defined or held back by her disability. But she could have been developed further, or cast authentically to make a bigger impact.
Ultimately, the main shortcomings of Hush can be attributed to the unnamed, unhinged crossbow-wielding killer. Yes, he gruesomely murders innocent victims, but he's forgettable in the pantheon of horror movie murderers, and his dynamic with Maddie could have been smarter and more interesting than it is.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about where Hush fits into the subgenre of horror movies in which characters are trapped in an enclosed area and must fight a monster of some kind, be it human, animal, or alien. What do you think is the appeal of movies like these? What makes them scary? Other than Hush, what are some examples of this type of movie?
How does this movie address the lead character's deafness and inability to verbalize? How is her disability portrayed? Why is it important to see disability on-screen in a way that doesn't paint it as a weakness? How is it used here to heighten the movie's suspense?
Why do you think some people like movies in which characters are injured, tortured, and killed in a variety of gruesome ways? Were the violent and bloody murders necessary for the storyline of this movie, or did they seem gratuitous?
Maddie shows courage and perseverance during the film. Why are these important character strengths? How do they help her to survive for as long as she does?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 12, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : April 8, 2016
- Cast : Kate Siegel , John Gallagher Jr. , Samantha Sloyan
- Director : Mike Flanagan
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Intrepid Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Run time : 81 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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