10 Home Invasion Horror Movies With A Twist

Mike Flanagan's Hush (2016) is very much of a piece with the director's filmography, the latter of which possesses a restlessness when it comes to stories, refusing ever sit back on its laurels and languish in the status quo.

It's a simple enough premise: Woman (Maddie, played by Flanagan regular Kate Siegel) lives alone in the forest. Masked man (John Gallagher Jr) cuts the power and breaks into her house, intent on bloody murder and with no better motive than he fancied a bit of psychopathic fun. But there's a twist: Maddie is deaf and mute.

This shifted dynamic allows for moments of terror that would simply never happen in your average horror film, and especially not a home invasion. Top of the list is the fact that Maddie can't call the police, but there are also several scenes in which the killer gets up close and personal without her knowing he's there. Hush relishes this kind of dramatic irony from the outset, allowing viewers to not only see the bad guy, but see him murdering Maddie's friend Sarah (Samantha Sloyan), long before Maddie is made aware of his presence.

Clever use of a varied and creative soundscape allow insight into the deaf experience, and ratchet up the tension in what is a largely dialogue-free film.