They Wait in the Dark

I had the pleasure of screening this at a movie theatre in Kansas City, where this film was made. I had the pleasure of meeting the director, Patrick Rhea and the lead actress, Sarah McGuire, both super nice people and did a q&a.

The ending of the film actually did shock me. It was a pleasant surprise.

For me, it was so cool seeing a film that was filmed in my area by local filmmakers.

As you can tell it's a low budget horror film, it didn't take away from the great performances and shock factor of the ending.

I would recommend giving it a shot with an open mind. You might be pleasantly surprised!

It's really refreshing to see more female lead films in this genre that isn't necessarily a "final girl" "scream queen" trope. The twist was completely unexpected and the story was so well done. A lot of people leaving bad reviews are expecting a high budget Hollywood style film and don't appreciate the material as is. As a fan of indie film, this one really is a breath of fresh air. Patrick does an amazing job of creating/directing these strong female characters in a way that feels empowering and authentic. The story is creepy and immersive. You really feel the emotions of panic and terror that the main character is feeling.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who's a horror fan. Amazing work!

While I enjoy reading film reviews, I am always cautious about putting my faith in another's opinion. Disclaimer noted, you can take mine for what it is worth. I am not a huge fan of the horror genre. (Stay with me) To me, there are common threads of cinematic elements often absent from this type of film. To the die-hard loyalists, this appears to be an acceptable part of the amalgamated enjoyment of the niche.

This is my second look at a Rea feature, ("I am Lisa") being the first. One of the primary reasons I gave "They Wait in the Dark" a take was due to Rea's simplistic approach in "Lisa". Sometimes less is more. One of the drawbacks for me in this realm is the gravitation toward over-the-top and gratuitously excessive gore. For others, this is part of the draw and appeal. To each their own.

I am looking at this film through a comparative lens. If you're expecting "Schindler's List" or "Shawshank Redemption", you're not going to find it. "They Wait" is a departure from the excessively gratuitous gore infused with a plot centered on human relationships. However, if you want to compare apples to apples and looking for horror, make sure to give "They Wait in the Dark" a chance.

I have no idea how this movie got decent ratings. I watch a ton of horror. For horror movies to be exciting and enthralling, you need to have good actors. That's why a lot of horror is trash: The acting is usually pretty terrible. This movie is a prime example. The forced, over-the-top acting took away from the storyline and the twist (which was actually pretty decent). The only thing I liked about this movie was the friend's one-liners in the car. I chuckled. The rest of the movie was bad. If you like true horror, do not... I repeat... do NOT waste your time on this. I did it for you. You're welcome.

Don't be fooled by the clever, creepy title. The twist isn't worth the work to get there.

This movie is essentially a twisted little melodrama disguised as a horror film. Aside from a couple sprinkles in the middle, no actual "horror" even occurs until the final minutes of the film.

And the acting from the two leads is atrocious. I spent much of my time trying to figure out who was worse: the main character (whose acting lacks any range at all) or the ex (who makes every obvious acting choice it's possible to make and who should note that when you light a cigarette inside a car without a breeze AND it's already lit, it's not necessary to cup your hand around said cigarette).