What’s It All About
The 1 Sentence Summary of The Dark
Did you watch the movie Warm Bodies and think to yourself, “This movie would be great if it was a sad drama instead of a comedy.”? Well then, my friends, this is the movie for you!
Cast and Director
Starring Nadia Alexander and Toby Nichols, this movie’s cast is young but talented. In his full length directoral debut, Justin P. Lange does a fantastic job of setting the scene using light and color as contrast against backdrops of a beautiful forest to tell the story of pain, sadness, and then hope.
Spoiler Alert
We’d much rather you watch the movie than read some of our favorite and least favorite parts about it. But if you have to know, check out our breakdown below.
The first 20 minutes of this movie follow an older man as he makes his way to Devil’s Den where he finds a seemingly abandoned house. After showing himself around, he realizes that the house is not vacant and he is not alone. After being chased through the forest, he decides to hide behind a tree with a rock (don’t even get me started). A look of realization spreads across his face as he looks up and an ax lands in his forehead at the same moment.
Mina, a teenage girl who is undead as the result of a horrendous tragedy she suffered at the hands of her drunk mother’s boyfriend.
The Dark is not scary in a traditional sense. There are no jump scares and the monsters are real people who do terrible things to children. There is one scene, however, in which Mina is chasing after someone who has just taken her picture and risks exposing her to the world. He runs into the road as an SUV speeds into view and hits him. It’s not so much a jump scare as you hear the vehicle coming but the scene was shot really well and you see the guy go flying off the truck.
The Dark is classified as a horror movie but it is not a horror movie. Other than the main character being undead, the movie is a tragic drama.
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Scare Critic Picks
Do you need something with more of a horror feel? If so, check out these terrifyingly good movies:
Summary
Scare Critics Say: Give It a Try
Scare Critic Review
This film has a dark and deeply emotional plot revolving around child abuse. While it is a good movie, it is not horror.
Scares Breakdown
- Child Abduction
- Physical Torture
- Psychological Torture
- Isolation
Good
- Good acting
- High degree of realism
- Delivers on scene setting/atmosphere
- Light at the end of the tunnel
Bad
- Drama not horror
- Difficult child situations
