Deep Dark

Deep Dark has the feel of an extended (79 minute) Twilight Zone episode without the genius of Rod Serling. A twenty something, no talent artist creates They are garbage. He winds up at an apartment with a hole in the wall. Behind it, he hears the voice of a woman. She is lonely, and in exchange for companionship will provide him with objects which seem to mesmerize gallery patrons. The Faustian bargain is successful and the artist must satisfy the hole in the wall in a most unusual manner. The premise was o.k. but it just sputters out in the end.

Struggling artist Hermann (Sean McGrath) leases a rundown apartment from his uncle and continues to struggle with his mobile-centered art pieces. That is until a tiny hole in the wall spits out a string with a note attached saying, "Relax, I can help." The hole begins speaking to him in a seductive female voice and soon the hole starts producing tumors (!) that Hermann places on his mobiles. The fleshy orbs intoxicate any viewer, making Hermann an instant success in the local art scene. Of course, the partnership comes with a price. I was drawn to this horror dark comedy just by the poster and one sentence plot synopsis on TubiTV. Writer-director Michael Medaglia delivers on the film's weird promise, coming off almost as a low budget combo between David Lynch and latter day Henenlotter. The premise might run a little thin at 80 minutes but I was entertained the entire time. His skewering of the indie art world is hilarious.

So Deep Dark is a pretty weird little indie horror movie. It's about this struggling artist who finds a hole in the wall that talks to him (yep), and it kind of becomes his creepy muse. It's not your typical horror with jump scares - it's more surreal and unsettling, with this strange mix of dark humor and uncomfortable moments. What I liked is that it feels unique and creative for a low-budget film. The atmosphere is super weird in a good way, and it sticks with you. On the downside, it can feel a little slow at times, and if you're expecting a "normal" horror movie, this one won't hit that spot. It's kind of artsy and bizarre, but that's what makes it memorable. If you're into strange, offbeat horror, you'll dig it. If you just want something scary and straightforward - maybe not so much.

Like Herman, the main character, this movie is lacking something. Great concept if you're into weird stuff, the story moves along nicely in the first half of the movie but then... Something goes wrong. It gets too slow, performances are subpar, the jealous artist and the girlfriend in particular, and the killings arrive too late. Things should have escalated further somewhere along the part the manager goes into the bedroom (whatever happened to her by the way?). It would be nice to explore other aspects of the story, like the hole's origin and Herman's feelings about it. I was hoping this would be one of those misunderstood gems with an unfair rating, but nope. It is lacking.

Deep Dark is a movie tethering on the fringe of horror genre, it's like a modern art on some posh gallery that may be confusing because due to its odd nature. It doesn't work like many thriller or horror flicks and takes a bit of time to roll, albeit its short runtime. There's just an intrinsic draw as though something bizarre is popping up yet one can't avert their eyes, and that itself is already a more successful horror than most.

Hermann (Sean McGrath) is an artist who's not particularly gifted. He tries hard to produce art to no avail. At some point his uncle rents him an apartment that doubles as a workshop. What he finds instead is a talking hole which presents him with artistic gift. This premise is so strange, it's almost satirically creepy.

In fact, the movie doesn't remotely have the same mystery feel to it, barely having any scare at all. It may even turn into comedy foray at a couple of instances, as it mocks its own protagonist and his predicament. The desperate artist angle works incredibly well, showing that desperation can give birth to foolishly appealing choices.

Without giving away much, this is one of the movies that relies on the quirky development, Deep Dark can be simplified into part haunting and part stalker theme. It's far from supernatural scares, so those expecting gripping thrill akin to Insidious might not find it here. The movie plays out in a type of fantasy, although it's still bizarre even for folklore premise.

Deep Dark is amalgamation of the weirdest aspects from fantasy and mystery wired together like abstract art. The sheer oddity leaves a strangely interesting aftertaste. It's recommended for those searching for something different, and the short length fits a lazy weekend slumber like a finger, among other things, on a mysterious hole.