Sunday, March 28, 2010

Dark Nature's Inherent Violence: A Movie Review

Director: Marc de Launay.

Writer: Eddie Harrison.

Dark Nature was previewed here February 16th and director Marc de Launay (Winning Streak) has forwarded a copy here, courtesy of Mandragora Productions (Dark Nature Preview). The film was shot in Scotland and Launay describes the film as "an eco-thriller [that] took inspiration from the zeitgeist of 1970's productions like Deliverance" (Dark). Shot on a budget, Dark Nature envisions an earth hell bent on man's removal for the destruction of her once healthy landscapes. Killers change, but the thrilling nature of the film stays throughout.

There is a virus in the air that infects the living with murderous impulses. Soon, loved ones kill loved ones in an unnatural shift from man vs. nature to nature vs. man. The only questions are who is next, and will the virus stop? Fans will have to to check out Launay's film to find those answers, but there is a certain brilliance in the simplicity of the storyline.

An action sequence starts Dark Nature with a bang and the disappearance of many other characters keeps the tone tense. Janice Forsyth of the BBC Movie Cafe says of Dark Nature: "[DN is] tense, twisted, shocking and very bloody" (Dark). This statement cannot be disagreed with as bodies turn up on coastal shores, knife wounds are plentiful, matricide is the norm, scalps are removed, and one character dies via typewrite bludgeoning. There is a creativity in the bloodshed despite the confines of a small budget and the use of a central set.

Dark Nature is already gearing up for a North American DVD/Blu-Ray release for April 27th and this reviewer hopes that you will sit down with the film for seventy minutes. As Launay states of his film: "it is small Scottish film," which duly deserves your attention (great for a quiet Sunday).

Setting/realism/importance to the story: 7 (showing the sets in darkness would really have amped up the horror, mystery feel).
Social/philosophical message: 7.5 (few horror films go here and it is a shame - thankfully Dark Nature has more depth than just blood and guts).
Photography/composition/lighting: 6.5 (great shots of the Scottish shoreline - lighting needs to show some complexity here, mastery).

Overall: 7 gasps out of 10.



More details on the film here:

Dark Nature Homepage

A trailer for Dark Nature is provided for viewers here:

Dark Nature Trailer

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