Dark Match

Over the years, there have been a few attempts to bring film and wrestling together. While this has resulted in modern favourites such as The Wrestler or The Iron Claw, there have also been some real stinkers, such as Death From Above. There has also been a few attempts to mesh wrestling and horror together too, which yields mixed results in the world of professional wrestling and thus far has provided little entertainment on film, but Dark Match proved to be a step up from the likes of Pro Wrestlers Vs Zombies.

First and foremost, there's some decent acting in this movie, with Steven Ogg once again stealing the show. Very few actors become successful after starring in a video game, but since his infamous role as Trevor in Grand Theft Auto V, he's made the most of every opportunity he's given to display his versatility, even in roles such as this where's if anything, he's the anchor that keeps the viewer, especially wrestling fans, grounded. Elsewhere, Chris Jericho, who isn't the greatest actor in the world but always understands the assignment, does a perfect job as the villain, falling somewhere between Linus Roache's performance in Mandy and Gene Simmons in Never Too Young To Die, giving us a solid mix of cult and camp.

While it's an enjoyable film that has some Easter eggs for fans, it is nonetheless predictable and at times a little flat. In particular our heroine, Miss Behave, feels less like the badass they attempt to portray her as, and more grumpy. Ayisha Issa may also be best known for her role in a video game (namely Fliss from Man Of Medan,) but she feels more real in that role, ironically. She doesn't do a bad job here, but the character itself feels a bit cookie cutter. I won't spoil the ending, but I think I audibly said, "Oh, they're going with this?" which left me a little disappointed.

All in all, Dark Match is a fun way to spend an hour and a half, with plenty of violence for horror fans and insider terms and a good adaptation of the grappling itself to please wrestling fans. Worth a watch if you just want to be entertained.

I'll admit despite the amateur theatric, jokey performances and(some) would say fake fighting, I would take wrestling over football anytime. At least there is a sense of fun, massive amounts of self-deprecating humour and fans that don't destroy front line service vehicles if their respective sides lose the game/battle.

It is the basis for one of the most underrated films of the last twenty five years-Stephen Merchants' Fighting With My Family and is the decent basis for a horror.

A group of wrestlers find themselves at the mercy of a group of bloodthirsty cult members.

The level of cheapness may put some off and the usual' tick box' of casting Ayisha Issa in the lead is tiresome. But remember, black woman are powerfully built and certainly would dominate the wrestling ring , she is no exception.

Her romance with the excellent Steven Ogg rings true and he convinces as a older wrestler just trying to earn a living.

This fun if forgettable horror is a mash up of The Running Man and The Wrestler.

Saw this at the Imagine film festival 2024 in Amsterdam. The plot itself may not be interesting or relevant, but it is shown in a beautiful way, yet not for the faint of heart, with lots of blood and gore. Even fatalities can be expected, so not everyone (euphemism alert) is still standing in the end. The supernatural twist in the end may not satisfy everyone, however, but the pentagram in the basement predicted that something bad was planned all along, and dark powers need dead corpses as an unwritten rule.

Outside normal arenas and without official rules, this type of wrestling can be very destructive, as we see here. The audience cheers, whatever happens, and doesn't mind open wounds, reams of blood, broken limbs, or other serious injuries. Previously, I always assumed that a lot of theater was involved when I saw it on TV. That may be so for the official wrestling matches, but what we watch here is beyond mercy for the losers. Moreover, it was planned from the outset by the event organizers that five fatally wounded were to be "produced" for the pentagram to complete.

Lucky for us, and for the tension we were waiting for, the division between winners and losers is not along the lines that were foreseen by the one who presided over the match. The visiting group of wrestlers was more creative and resourceful than we thought at first.

All in all, though I am not interested in this type of sport, it was interesting to watch this story and all its developments, most of which were unexpected and unplanned. The supernatural twist did not harm either to arrive at a 4/5 score for the audience award when leaving the venue.

Dark Match has a surprisingly unique premise, as we follow a group of wrestlers who sign up for an underground event called a "Dark Match." Shortly after the event begins, they realize that the stakes are much higher than championship belts and a few bruises.

The immediate eye-catcher for me was seeing Stephen Ogg in the cast. I've always liked his acting, and ever since GTA V was released, I've been a huge fan of him and his work. He is not the main character here, though; that role belongs more to his sort-of girlfriend, "Miss Behave," played by Ayisha Issa. Both actors portrayed their characters really well and got the most out of their roles, which were interesting in themselves. The rest of the cast, including Chris Jericho, was mostly good, with a few exceptions.

The movie features some entertaining wrestling sequences and consistently avoids becoming too predictable, always introducing something new to keep the audience engaged. At times, it felt like the film wanted to explore more themes than it could handle, which led to an inconsistent tone throughout. It also suffered from pacing issues and some poorly lit scenes. However, the strong characters and unique plot made up for those shortcomings. I found myself caring about the characters and genuinely curious to see what would happen next, which is generally a good sign.

Unfortunately, the movie didn't fully reach the potential of its premise, and there were only a few truly memorable moments. I enjoyed director Lowell Dean's previous WolfCop films for their trashy and schlocky charm, and while Dark Match had similar tones, it took a slightly more serious approach despite the bonkers plot. The film was overall enjoyable but also a bit messy and definitely flawed. Still, I had a decent time watching it, even though I don't know much about wrestling. I feel like fans of the sport could find even more to enjoy here, and I'm curious to see what director Lowell Dean does next. He always seems able to craft likable low-budget flicks with heart. [5.4/10]

Rating Breakdown

Story - 1.25 :: Direction - 1.25 :: Pacing - 1.25 :: Performances - 1.25 :: Entertainment - 1.25

TOTAL - 6.25/10

I have often found that the best horror movies operate much like a well-executed wrestling match. They build suspense, mislead, and taunt you with moments of hope before dropping you face-first into despair. "Dark Match" is exactly that sort of film, a supernatural wrestling action-horror fever dream that body-slams expectations and pile-drives logic straight through the mat.

I stumbled upon this little curiosity while scavenging through Shudder's horror catalogue, and it was a choice well-made. The premise is deceptively simple: a group of wrestlers sign up for an underground event, a so-called Dark Match, only to discover that the stakes involve more than championship belts and bruised egos. Instead, their very lives hang in the balance. But this is not just standard supernatural bloodsport. This film delights in leading you down a path, only to smack you with a steel chair of narrative subversion. Every time I thought I had its angle pinned, it wriggled free and took me in another, often stranger, direction.

The writing is sharp, teasing the audience with breadcrumbs of information, throwing in enough red herrings to keep the waters murky but never descending into incoherence. The pacing ensures that the mystery remains tantalising rather than frustrating, each revelation feeling more like a natural progression than a cheap trick.

A large part of the film's success lies in its direction. The wrestling sequences are executed with a verve that suggests someone behind the camera actually respects the sport. The fights are visceral, kinetic, and filmed with an energy that captures the unique ballet of brutality that makes wrestling such an enduring spectacle.

And then, when we move into the film's more dramatic moments, something odd happens. The direction, so vibrant in the ring, suddenly slackens. Scenes stretch longer than necessary, the camera loses its spark, and the momentum stutters. It is as though the director, having exerted themselves in crafting the action, decided to take a breather.

Visually, "Dark Match" leans heavily into shadows and suffocating red lighting. It mostly works, creating an ominous atmosphere, but there are times when it crosses into frustrating murkiness. When you start questioning your screen brightness, you know the crimson rabbit hole has gone too deep.

The acting was better than expected, due especially to Michael Eklund in a starring role. The cast throws themselves into their roles and the wrestling, elevating the experience. The Masked Wrestler, however, should have been a nimble high-flyer but instead moved with all the agility of a refrigerator being tipped over. And then there is Chris Jericho, once a titan of the squared circle, now reduced to a performance so wooden I half-expected termites to start nibbling at his edges.

Despite its occasional missteps, be it the drag in pacing, the overuse of red lighting, or the odd bit of lacklustre acting, "Dark Match" is a wildly enjoyable horror brawl. It is the kind of film that will likely earn a cult following, a homage to both wrestling and horror that understands the grand theatricality of both. I may not always rewatch horror films, but this one? I could see myself stepping into the ring for another round.