The Darkness

When I saw the darkness, I felt like I needed to take out a ghost movie checklist and start listing everything I had seen before. Weird or Special needs child who communicates with the spirits? Check. Annoying, angry teenager that adds nothing to the plot? Check. Father with fidelity problems that doesn't believe in the spirits at first? Check. Mother with alcohol problems that seems crazy to everyone else? Check. The Darkness follows a strict character and story design and doesn't try to add anything unique or interesting. The movie is also terribly fast paced and tries to throw way too much in one sitting that everything just seems squished together and has no emotional impact. There are no real scares or thrills, only non-impactful jump scares that fall flat. The sad thing is that we have very good acting talent in this film, but the writing, directing, and editing is done so badly that the acting looks terrible.

After watching The Darkness I'd have to place it in the family entertainment bracket as opposed to horror, it lacks any kind of threat at all, it makes The Hole loook like a horror. I really loved the idea, a nice clever twist on the usual formula, and nice to see an autiaaut kid centre stage. The idea was good,but the realisation was a disappointment to say the least, the scares were lazy, unoriginal, but worst of all, it lacked any tension of any kind. It wasn't bad, it's what I'd class a back room film, it was on while I did other things. Well acted, but this is Kevin Bacon, he deserves better then this. 5/10

I thought the movie was 'okay', edging toward bad only because I'm a horror movie buff and I'm a bit jaded. Been watching horror/suspense/thrillers for over *cough* 40 years.

However, it's a decent movie if you look at it from the point of view of a younger person, like a child or teen.

The movie doesn't have very much gore at all. But, it does have 'blood' in one scene that I can recall and it's 'blood spots' not 'blood pools'. The kind you might get if you poked your finger with a needle.

I'm really surprised that the movie did so poorly considering the number of stars in it. Ming-na Wen, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Morrison, Paul Reiser? Comeon! lol

Anyway, the movie had a lot of potential but, for me, didn't quite do it. I would've given this movie a 7 as a teen or young adult. As an older and jaded adult, I'm tougher on horror because my expectations are high.

Also, I didn't fall asleep while watching like I did with The Conjuring.

I am Diné (Navajo) and I am giving this movie one star because the acting was good. But the story line is way off. First of all Anasazi to Navajo is "ancient enemy", Second we don't speak Spanish nor use Christian symbols for ceremonial purposes and third at least use a real Navajo and the one that is fluent in Diné Bizaad (Navajo language). I am sure they can find one person on the rez. We all still practice our culture and ceremonies (medicine men) to this day. Its funny they use Hopi Kachinas as Anasazi people. (Different) Haha, way way way off! Please better educate yourself Hollywood. And no Navajos don't have teepees, we have Hogans.

The Darkness is, in my opinion, a pretty obvious Poltergeist knock off, with an American Indian mythology twist.

This film follows much the same formula made famous by Poltergeist. It makes a few distinctions, by drawing on American Indian mythology but beyond that, its business as usual.

That said, this film is in no way as creepy or frightening, as Poltergeist. The demons, look more like a bunch of bad extras from a cultural festival. Their evil is not really all that evil either. They feel more like bad tenants or squatters, who have personal hygiene issues. Hand washing in particular, is not their thing.

That said, in fairness this is not a bad film. Its moderately entertaining and it has a good cast, including Kevin Bacon, who I have a lot of time for. His performance helps lift this film and is complimented by a capable cast who generally share good chemistry.The family dynamic, in particular, is very believable in a middle aged, kind of yuppie-ish way.

I give The Darkness a six out of ten. Its not exceptional but it is still quite watchable.