The Dark

This movie was pretty good. The acting was very good since they had a good cast. I enjoyed the girl playing the daughter and the other girl that comes later in the flick. We got a chance to see this movie for free, so no worries. It's worth renting if your in the mood for a suspenseful flick. It goes along with movies like half-light where a mother is stressing over their child for some reason or another. It could have been a lot better. The script was lacking in some parts, and the end was somewhat lackluster and confusing. I like it, nonetheless, but probably wouldn't watch it again. I'd suggest renting it though if your in the mood for a suspense flick.

The Dark is OK for its day but The Hallow (2015) and The Daisy Chain (2008) are much better Celtic movies dabbling in local myth. The Dark is a pretty ad hoc jumble of bits and pieces (past/present, real/dreaming, myth/crime, etc) strung together in what seems like, to me, an attempt to make a 90 minute movie out of only 60 minutes of material. In the last half a lot of sequences look very similar to previous sequences, although I admit the idea was torture and descent. Mind you, The Dark did try to make sheep seem spooky, and one has to admire the attempt. For looks it's very similar to The Daisy Chain, indeed, that movie may have seen what was working or not working in The Dark and proceeded appropriately. In the end the story does make sense, and it is a very chilly conclusion. I still enjoyed it, and it is original to a degree. My main criticism is that the filmmakers needed to make this a darker journey and not such an action movie for the Mum. It needed more pauses, more shocks, and better shocks, maybe a storm, the odd spider. The Dark, however, still tackles a difficult premise to pull off, and in this it has made an accomplishment.

It's a confusing movie with a poor story. I felt I was watching the wrong movie when I stepped into the theater. It took me some time until I could realize what was really happening.

Plus, mentioning the Welsh mythology sounded more like an excuse to hook the story.

Although it contains some disturbing images, it is not scary at all. Well said: 'when a film has to relay on loud music and flashy imagery to scare people then the film isn't scary'. So, that's the whole truth about this movie. I expected something better.

I am completely disappointed.

Sean Bean is such a lost talent, he's a great actor and never seems to be given a decent or lead role. Even in Lord of the Rings he was cast as the turncoat. So I was excited to hear that he was the lead man in this movie, although not the lead it was a good step. Plus it was a British film and a horror. These things all combined to make me think that this was a movie to see.

Both Bean and Maria Bello are very convincing in the movie. Bean plays the straight up man who is confused by the happenings around him and just wants to make the family happy again, he plays a super convincing Father. Bello gives a great performance as she is called upon to be a trying mother, confused, insane, panicked and totally distraught. Not that much of a range really! The interplay between these two actors is very good, and when Bean has scenes with the daughter, he's just superb.

Something that becomes quite annoying through the first half of the movie are the deliberate scare tactics used by the Director, they are exceedingly formulaic and you know when they are coming and even when the shock comes. Still, all credit to them, you still leap out of your chair even knowing when a scare is coming. The formula is pretty constant through the first half, slow music, a long single scene, slow movement and no action, usually in the darkness, then a few fast cuts together accompanied by a loud sound and a raise in the music tempo, and there you have the scare. During the screening people were leaping like mad! After a while following this formula the film does turn around on itself and become something different. It's here that it becomes a lot more psychological and indeed, clever. There was a big feeling in this half of Event Horizon, particularly the flashbacks to being strapped in the chair, fast, multiple cuts of horror.

However during the latter half it also becomes confusing and very weird, yet I wish the whole movie had been like this. It could have abandoned its standard scare tactics and concentrated on the plot in the latter half, and this would have provided for a much more psychologically scary movie.

There's a particular moment near the end of the movie when a door closes in front of the lead, and your emotions are totally with the character at this point. Confusion for a few seconds and then a slow building understanding. It's a very good moment.

Still, however clever the entire ending is, I still felt it lacked clarity and subtlety. Dropping the scare formula of the first half would have brought a much better movie, and getting rid of the premise of scary sheep would have helped too. Perhaps it's a British thing, but sheep are not in the least bit scary, in fact coming from a Northern Scottish town sheep are considered far from scary. It just seemed to be a plot device that was struggling not to be absurd.

That said, you'll still leap, you'll still be scared, and when the film finishes you'll still like the conclusion.

The most disappointing thing about this movie is sound FX work. While every other crew member tried to avoid clichés and worked minimalistic the sound operator did his best exactly in the opposite direction. Sure he was proud of himself - every possible library sample from "Horror FX" folder (squeaks, boos, bangs and so on) has been employed at times "to make it scarier".

Otherwise the movie is surprisingly good. Cold and dark Welsh mythology, no fun. Acting is full of nuances. Scares are delivering (reminded me feelings of "Ju-on" (Japanese original of "The Grudge")). No major holes in script, everything is logical, worked in great detail. The climax is overloaded a bit with twists, but except the last one (too confusing way of depicting it) is impressive anyway.

My deepest respect to the cameraman for that catch of the Northern landscapes beauty, for the tricks with focus, for many unusual angles and meaningful use of color FX. That chapter in Annuun treated in sepia is simple and convincing - bravo!

8 marks for the well-worked atmosphere, fresh scares, interesting story, eye pleasures, serious attitude and creativity.