Silent Hill tells the most terrifying form of horror
There is cosmic horror, folk horror, body horror, countless more and then there's the psychological horror of Silent Hill.
Personally, it's the most terrifying form of horror. For someone who's nearing forty, regular horror isn't unnerving. What is unnerving is the thought that there exists a personal hell with no escape. That is the kind of horror Silent Hill tells.
Most of us live unremarkable ordinary lives. We wouldn't stand out in a crowd. Yet to ourselves we are the main character in our own story. We have our own private grief, guilt, regret, joy etc. The thought that we can encounter a hell, perfectly crafted for ourselves, built from our most private and deepest thoughts and horror is terrifying.
The protagonists of Silent Hill aren't saviors, or heroes or anyone noteworthy. They're your average person who wouldn't stand out from the crowd, just like most of us.
I've seen people age and die. How they become lucid, start hallucinating once their time draws near. The say that your life flashes before your eyes moments before you pass. What if it's your own personal hell instead?