Super Dark Times

If there's another 2017 film that starts off really well and continues greatness until it loses all its momentum and potential and becomes a mess in its third act, then I haven't seen it. This film is an intriguing but realistic psychological drama/thriller for its first two acts and then decides to become a genre film instead. By doing so, it loses everything that made it interesting. Maybe in retrospect and on a possible rewatch I will think the third act is fine for what it is, but it's such a shame the turn the film makes. Still, it remains a worthy effort overall, with some fine performances from its cast and some effective imagery.

Saw this at the Rotterdam film festival 2017 (website: iffr.com). The synopsis on the festival website contained ample pointers to avoid this movie, for example "life revolves around vying for popularity, hanging out, falling in love and looking for kicks". Luckily there was only little attention for partying, courting, clothes, and more such, unlike other movies covering youngsters of high-school age. The real drama took some time to develop, but once becoming apparent it stayed in the forefront, and so should it be.

A bit problematic (for me) is that the finale went a bit too fast and too bloody for my taste, something that did not follow logically from what happened before. It seemed a bit over the top. On the other hand, a different ending was not easy to think of, as involving the police and the legal system would have ruined the story completely. Moreover, it would require bringing in the parents of our main protagonists, which usually does not bode well for the clarity of the drama. Anyway, unexpected turns of events came at a steady pace and without weak moments, one step after another. The role of the female college students was less cultivated, as if they were only background tapestry, or maybe serving as catalyst material to speed up developments but otherwise not really crucial for the outcome.

Unclear is the opening scene where a deer is found dead in the class room with a broken window. It took some time before the police entered, who started exchanging glances with each other, but I'm at a loss what it all meant.

From the final Q&A I learned a nice statement: "planting little seeds here and there is the essence of script writing". And also: Rhythm and pacing are important (it was a side answer to a question about the sound track, but even more applying to the screenplay).

Also from the Q&A: A serious attempt was made to give Josh more dimensions in his character. Same for the others, though they did not need it that much. All were nice young men without really bad habits, but only nice is not enough to keep our interest.

All in all, I was glad to have booked tickets for this movie, despite my fears that it was to become another coming-of-age story with too much time devoted on courting and partying. This time there were no problems along that line. It sustained a real focus on the central story and its pacing of subsequent developments. The audience awarded this movie a mediocre 73rd place (out of 172) with an average score of 3.905 *out of 5).

If you like an indie flavor & are a fan of films like River's Edge or Stand By Me then you should have some fun with this one.

The storytelling is rich and engaging with suspenseful paranoia & is accompanied by some shocking imagery. The characters are entertaining & well conceived so it matters to the viewer when events unfold around them.

I can't fault this film for anything but I settle on a 7 rating because like most true crime narratives it is forced to borrow from its influences, which seem to be called upon throughout.

Super Dark Times (2017):

While I was watching Super Dark Times,the one thing which really surprised me is that this one is work of a debutante director.The way the movie started and the atmosphere set clearly promised me a hell of a ride and almost succeeded in keeping that promise.

Plot:

Zach (Owen Phillips) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) are best friends growing up in a leafy Upstate New York suburb in the 1990s, where teenage life revolves around hanging out, looking for kicks, navigating first love and vying for popularity. When a traumatic incident drives a wedge between the previously inseparable pair, their youthful innocence abruptly vanishes.

My Review:

Every person's adolescent age is the most dangerous part of his life as it triggers dangerous feelings and emotions which decides his fate of the life.It is the age which involves us in lot of adventures which may stir lot of turns and lessons in our life.Super Dark Times showcases the scary proceedings in our lead roles adolescent life.

Director Kevin Phillips's debut feature looks a lot like Stranger Things-set in the 1990s, there are gorgeous shots of Super Dark Times' misfits riding their bikes around suburbia, but these coexist with stark, ominous images of long shadows and tall trees. Darkness lingers in every frame like a vulture waiting to swoop. Fun times grotesquely morph into horror in a matter of seconds: Four boys are playing with a sword in the woods, and then three boys are covering a body with crunchy autumn leaves.

Phillps and writers, Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, steadily raise the tension as the film progresses, making for an unsettling watch as their situation continues to weigh on the young characters.Nailing to atmosphere and mood of 'Super Dark Times' is the key to the film's success because we've seen these tales of teenage mishaps and cover-ups plenty of times.. Here, we are swallowed whole by the film's aesthetics, which manage to always fit the picture and wrap us up in the film's world without ever being overbearing.

But what went wrong is the third-act of the film which is oddly paced and difficult to follow.Its like the maker desperately tried to confuse us and thrill us at the same time with lot of unexplained events and violence.It backfired.

Performances are amazing.Charlie Tahan (From Wayward Pines) is amazing and his character transition is surprising.Owen Campbell gave spine-chilling performance in the scene where he imagines having intercourse with Allison in woods.Elizabeth Cappucino is a show-stealer although her role is limited.

Technically Super Dark Times is amazing with stunning cinematography by ELi Born and haunting score by Ben Frost.We have to notice that all these persons are not widely known.

SO,Super Dark Times is an impressive haunting thriller which involves mostly debutante technicians but confused writing in its climax disappoints.

My rating 7/10

It's always impressive to see a young actor really shine, and the two best friends this movie centers around certainly deliver in their performances. Unfortunately, the ending leaves me wanting...more? Not necessarily, I don't have a problem with open ended stories, but the ending scene being about a character I didn't really connect with or care for was an odd choice. Maybe on a re-watch I'll catch some nuance that steers me in the direction of revelation with the ending scene...but is it really worth watching again? It certainly does capture the precell phone nineties teen vibes well, and there's a the surreal feeling of a town where we never see anyone else except the teens. It certainly speaks for the tunnel vision you have at the age.

I wish the set dressers would decorate my house for Christmas.

Worth watching overall.