The Dark - Angst ist Deine einzige Hoffnung

A solid movie in all aspects. However, Nadia Alexander kills it. An actor who can anchor a scene and bring intensity and believe-ability to most anything. The film touches on some dark themes and subjects throughout and does a good job of revealing what matters to the story. No spoilers, but the ending did what I was hoping for and not what I thought it might do instead which would have had it perhaps take a more tropey direction. The set was great and the make-up was exceptional.

Right, well I had never heard about directors Justin P. Lange and Klemens Hufnagl's 2018 movie "The Dark" prior to stumbling upon it by sheer random chance here in 2025. And with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I opted to watch the movie, been a life-long horror aficionado.

And color me impressed. I was genuinely entertained by the storyline that writer Justin P. Lange came up with. It was an interesting take on the horror genre, a gamble perhaps, but it paid off. The storyline was compelling and drops the audience right in the midst of everything right away, and the cleverly goes back through flashbacks and tells the audience of things prior to where the story was at a the current time. "The Dark" is not a horror movie that relies on cheap jump scares and an abundance of visual mayhem and bloody carnage, nay, it is a story-driven and character narrative.

I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, and that is something I do enjoy when I watch a movie. The two young leading performers, Nadia Alexander playing Mina and Toby Nichols playing Alex carried the movie quite well.

Something that really impressed me about "The Dark" was the make-up, especially on Mina. I really liked what the make-up department had done with her prosthetic make-up, because it looked so real.

Now, if I have to put my finger on something I didn't like about "The Dark", then it was the ending. It felt like a slap to the face to see that ending and what happened to Alex and Mina. And I must say that I didn't get that ending for Mina, not even the least bit. But hey, the ride up until the ending was a rather enjoyable one.

If you enjoy horror movies, and want something that offers more than just jump scares and gore, then give "The Dark" a gander. I did, and I was positively surprised and genuinely entertained throughout the course of the 95 minutes that the movie ran for, well aside from the ending. However, while it is a good and enjoyable movie, it is hardly one that has the contents to support more than just a single viewing.

My rating of "The Dark" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Plot

An undead teenage girl befriends a blind boy that she meets in a forest she haunts and hunts in. Both have been victims of unimaginable abuse, and each finds solace in the other. There may be a chance of light at the end of their tunnel, but it will come with a body count.

Cast

Not familiar with anybody involved.

Verdict

A Canada/Austria collaboration, I went into The Dark knowing only the curious concept, and based on this alone I knew this would be an interesting unique film and wanted so badly to like it. But you know what happens when you go into a film with high expectations, they're rarely met.

Now to be clear this is an interesting unique film, that I could never take away from it. Like it however, not so much. I found it 1 part enjoyable for every 1 part confusing.

It's one that is watchable for the novelty value however doesn't live up to what it promises and therefore doesn't deliver a competent coherent story.

Could have been so much more with just a smidge more ingenuity from the writers.

Rants

I feel like they missed out a large chunk of the story, arguably two and I won't put any spoilers here. But I feel like we're owed an explanation regarding a certain origin and more importantly an element to the story that they implement they kind of just u-turn on with no logic nor reason. Man, this could have been so good if they'd just had better writers.

Breakdown

Great idea Unique Poor execution A few elements feel incomplete.

Great acting but far too many an answered questions.

I enjoyed the movie but it was more sad than scary. Unique story with good acting. Some violent scenes but poignant as well.