The Darkness

So another example of how IMDb user reviews and ratings have slated another reasonably good film. Clearly everyone has different expectations when it comes to horrors, and for me personally, movies like Insidious, Paranormal Activity, Sinister and Dark Skies etc tick the box. And this was one I would gladly add to that list. Unfortunately with most new movies, the story lines and scares are nothing original and this one is no different. If that is enough to put you off then I suggest you don't watch this. I on the other hand, take a movie for what it is and I was not in any way disappointed. The cast, acting, script and effects were all decent enough and it was all a bit predictable but who cares.... I enjoyed it. Unlike 90% of the reviewers here who seem to be wannabe critics and outright movie boffins, I on the other hand am just a NORMAL person. This film is worth watching if you are not going to dissect every scene from the start to the finish merely to find faults. 7/10

Hey Everyone,

If you are a horror movie fan like myself, you can probably pass on seeing this one. You knew when there would be a "scare" and the ending was pretty cliché. I do feel that the character development in this movie was wonderful! They actually allowed you to get to know the characters as the story unraveled. However, none of those family dynamics really played into the scares. In my eyes if you are giving me background on a character, or getting to know the characters weaknesses, they should somehow effect the overall story line.

I'm giving this movie a 4 out of 10 because the movie did keep me intrigued through out, and definitely more of a pre-teen horror movie. I wish the writers or director would have put in more scares and jumps. I would consider this more of a thriller than an actual horror movie. I'm interested in reading what other horror seekers feel about this one!

When I saw the darkness, I felt like I needed to take out a ghost movie checklist and start listing everything I had seen before. Weird or Special needs child who communicates with the spirits? Check. Annoying, angry teenager that adds nothing to the plot? Check. Father with fidelity problems that doesn't believe in the spirits at first? Check. Mother with alcohol problems that seems crazy to everyone else? Check. The Darkness follows a strict character and story design and doesn't try to add anything unique or interesting. The movie is also terribly fast paced and tries to throw way too much in one sitting that everything just seems squished together and has no emotional impact. There are no real scares or thrills, only non-impactful jump scares that fall flat. The sad thing is that we have very good acting talent in this film, but the writing, directing, and editing is done so badly that the acting looks terrible.

I really don't know why people are writing comments slating this film.

It is not a 'hardcore; horror that is likely to make you seek therapy for the rest of your life, but it is not dull or unwatchable either.

The production is good, the acting is good, and it is the kind of film you can watch when you just fancy a 'movie night' with friends or family.

The story is engaging enough to make it interesting.

All these pseudo-intellectual ramblings criticising the film are just that - pseudo-intellectual.

It is probably not the best film you will watch in your life but is it also very far from the worst.

The Darkness is, in my opinion, a pretty obvious Poltergeist knock off, with an American Indian mythology twist.

This film follows much the same formula made famous by Poltergeist. It makes a few distinctions, by drawing on American Indian mythology but beyond that, its business as usual.

That said, this film is in no way as creepy or frightening, as Poltergeist. The demons, look more like a bunch of bad extras from a cultural festival. Their evil is not really all that evil either. They feel more like bad tenants or squatters, who have personal hygiene issues. Hand washing in particular, is not their thing.

That said, in fairness this is not a bad film. Its moderately entertaining and it has a good cast, including Kevin Bacon, who I have a lot of time for. His performance helps lift this film and is complimented by a capable cast who generally share good chemistry.The family dynamic, in particular, is very believable in a middle aged, kind of yuppie-ish way.

I give The Darkness a six out of ten. Its not exceptional but it is still quite watchable.