Sundance’s Silent House acquired, but was it really filmed in one continuous shot?

What the hell? Two days ago I didn’t know she existed, but now third Olsen sister Elizabeth is popping up everywhere during Sundance this year. Yesterday it was for her performance in cult drama (literally, it’s about a cult) MARCY MARY MAY MARLENE and today she’s starring in SILENT HOUSE.

The haunted house horror film premiered at Sundance and was just picked up for $3M by Liddell Entertainment. Not big news in itself, but the buzz about the movie is that it’s allegedly one continuous shot from start to finish. From the director:

“…We were immediately intrigued and excited by the challenge of telling a story in a single unbroken camera shot. Making this film fascinated us, as it presented a unique approach to filmmaking, and a new way to experience a movie.” … “Our fantastic actors and crew embraced the rigors involved in shooting this film. We were very fortunate to be working with a luminous and gifted leading lady, Elizabeth Olsen. Following her in a continuous take with no cuts, she draws the audience into her reality, provoking what we hope is an intensely visceral experience.”

But some are disputing this claim, saying that there are a few places in the film where it appears to, or could have easily been cut, including one scene where the lights go out and it’s pitch black, and another when a character walks through a door.

There’s probably no way to ever actually confirm this, but I would imagine that on take # 4,934 of trying to shoot an hour and a half long movie in one shot (the filmmakers won’t actually reveal how make takes it took, suspicious), you’d probably just say f*ck it and throw a scene in there where the lights go out. We kept filming! We promise!

In any case, it does sound like a very cool, original idea for a horror film and…oh wait, it’s a remake of the Uruguayan thriller LA CASA MUDA which premiered at Cannes and was also one shot? Nevermind then.