The Dark Hours

Disclaimer: I am Canadian so I may have a slight bias to my comments on this film.

This is a very very entertaining film, as it has all of the facets that an entertaining film should have. Great believable acting, interesting, twisting story with well developed characters and some light humor, the direction effectively created a sense of tension and suspense that is rarely seen these days in horror films and thrillers. In the end a job well done by all. I remember seeing a similar film at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal two years ago, called Dead End with Ray Wise. If you have seen that one and liked it as much as I did, then you will surely like this one.

Not to be missed and I really hope that this one gets out there and is seen by as many people as possible!

The Dark Hours is an unbelievably brisk psychological scary movie that packs a lot of thrills into it's 80 minute running time. Although it's not generally the type of horror movie I like, it requires the audience to think a bit about what is going on, something which I'd rather not do in movies like this) Dark Hours is great because the lead actress, Kate Greenhouse, is great as the doctor who gets more then she bargained for when she makes a surprise visit to her ex and her sister. An ex-patient of hers also pays a visit, and he decides they're going to play some mind games, just like he endured in the clinic which he came from. Only the games have slightly sinister overtones..

All the acting is very good here. What a pleasure to see Dov Tiefenbach again. Loved him in The Delicate Art of Parking, so it was quite a surprise to see him play something nastier in this movie. Again Greenhouse is great, and all the cast pull together to make this movie a dynamite sit through.

Some of the comments I've read about this movie so far seem to be a little too much on the positive side. While I'm not saying that this isn't a good film - as usual with obscure films made in countries other than the USA - there's a fair few people overrating it, when really it's just another variant on the idea used in Funny Games over a decade ago (which wasn't even original then), done with less panache and less to say. After a slow first twenty minutes, The Dark Hours finally gets going; and once it does get going, it does indeed become very thrilling, and it's easy to see why many people enjoyed it for that reason. The idea that the movie draws on mainly is the horror of having your space invaded by a maniac; and the film then dashes this central theme with ideas of immoral acts being justified and the horrors of the truth. The film follows psychiatrist Samantha Goodman as she travels to a small cabin in the woods to stay with her husband and sister. A young man who might be more than his mousy appearance suggests... soon interrupts their stay.

The thing I like most about this film is the isolated 'cabin in the woods' setting. Horror classic, The Evil Dead, proved that this setting is a great location for horror; and The Darks Hours is just one of the films to confirm that. The invaders force their innocent victims to partake in a series of macabre and terrifying games - and this too helps to add to the atmosphere that the movie is creating. Much like it did in Funny Games. The Dark Hours is brought to life by a talented cast of unknowns, and director Paul Fox proves his worth by getting good performances out of all of them. Kate Greenhouse takes the lead role and is backed up by the quartet of Aidan Devine, Gordon Currie, Iris Graham and Dov Tiefenbach. The acting here shows how good performances can enhance a script, as The Dark Hours works from a very basic plot that would be lost if the cast want up to the challenge of bring the characters to life. Overall, while you wont catch me describing this film as 'terrifying', 'brilliant' or even 'intelligent', The Dark Hours is definitely worth seeing as it pulls psychological horror together with shocking gore well, and represents a modest success for non-US obscure horror.

Dr Samantha Goodman(Kate Greenhouse),an attractive psychiatrist in her thirties joins her husband and sister for a weekend at a winter cottage when an unexpected guest arrives.Harlan Pyne(Aidan Devine),a violent sexual offender is convinced that Samantha conducted unethical experiments on him while she was his doctor.With the assistance of his troubled yet eager protégé Harlan forces Samantha and her family to participate in a series of nightmarish games."The Dark Hours" pleasantly surprised me.The script is tight and the violence is pretty brutal and ugly.Aiden Devine's portrayal of Harlan deserves special mention for being wickedly understated and menacing.The cinematography is dark and moody and the finale is surprising and thought-provoking.Give this harrowing film a look.9 out of 10.

To anyone wanting to watch this film I have the following suggestions:- 1. Watch it with friends....you'll be debating the ending afterwards.

2. Don't expect glossy effects or graphics....this is a true psychological thriller.

3. Pay Attention....The more you put into this the more you'll get out of it.

4. Have an open mind to where the film leads you.

Frankly I have to say I think this is a little unknown gem. It was done on a shoestring budget and I suspect not many have heard of it...it deserves wider release.

To anyone on the crew or cast who may read this can I offer my compliments. Well and believably acted, good lighting, good cinematography, appropriate score, well written and a Director who has pulled it all together to produce a great tight crafted product.

Good job guys.....you made my weekend.

P