From Creator: I saw this movie when I was in high school and experienced
terror psychologically for the first time.
-Masahiro Ito

Film-wise, we would say Jacob’s ladder has been a big influence, plus other works by Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch and the novels of Stephen King.
-Owaku, on films that influenced the series

Silent Hill 2: James Sunderland, initials “JS.” Similar clothes. We learn that James’ wife died and that’s why he’s in Silent Hill. He carries a photo of her in his wallet.
Jacob’s Ladder: Jacob Singer, initials “JS.” We learn that Jacob’s son died. He carries a photo of him in his wallet (and the photos are very important to him, as evidenced by a scene where his girlfriend disposes of his photos.)

Silent Hill 2: James wakes to find himself strapped to a gurney, going down a nightmarish hallway with grating above him.
Silent Hill 3: There are scenes where Heather scenes Valtiel and some monsters behind metal grating.
Jacob’s Ladder: Jacob finds himself strapped to a gurney, going down a nightmarish hallway with grating above him, where he can see deformed people, wheelchairs, bloody body parts. There is a nurse with some weird growth on her head, sort of like the sh1 puppet nurses.

Silent Hill 2: Many monsters don’t have eyes.
Jacob’s Ladder: The doctor and some other creatures don’t have eyes.

Silent Hill 2: James was married, but Mary died. He later meets Maria in Silent Hill, a woman who resembles her but with a totally different personality, hair color, clothing style, etc.
Jacob’s Ladder: Jacob and his wife are separated but he ends up finding a girlfriend named Jezebel. She is very much the opposite of his wife.

Silent Hill 2: There are many monsters in frames or boxes.
Jacob’s Ladder: Many monsters are in frames or boxes. They twitch in the same way as many Silent Hill monsters.

Silent Hill 2: James and Maria are chased down a long hallway by Pyramid Head.
Jacob’s Ladder: Jacob is chased down an alley by what appear to be monsters in a car.

Jacob’s Ladder:When being wheeled through the hospital corridor, Jacob sees a bicycle on its side, with the wheel spinning. This reminds him of his dead son, Gabe.
Silent Hill 3: When entering the hospital basement, Heather sees a wheelchair with a wheel spinning. This reminds us of Alessa.

Other:

-Subway: SH3 subway and the Bergen St stop are taken directly from this movie. Jacob also gets down on the tracks and is nearly hit, much like Heather.

-Though not in the final game, the poster in the subway saying “HELL. That’s what life can be when you’re on drugs…” [image) is present in the texture files for SH1. (In JL, Jacob was dosed with drugs during the war, and it causes him flashbacks. This could be sort of related to the drug themes in sh1).
-Jezebel has tentacles in one party scene, kind of like Mary boss in sh2. A person on the subway also has tentacles.
-The name “Lyne” on the key to an apartment in SH2 refers to Adrian Lyne, director of Jacob’s Ladder.