Saturday, April 18, 2015

Tedium Emerges From the Dark: A Movie Review

Director/writer: Conor McMahon.

Cast: Niamh Algar and Stephen Cromwell.

From the Dark is a horror film from Conor McMahon (Stitches). Set in the Irish countryside, this film brings a nosferatu-like creature out of the bog and a couple is terrorized throughout much of the film. Though, this viewer felt considerably less fright. Still, the film is well shot and the use of minimal lighting helped amplify some tension. From the Dark is an intimate affair. It is also a minimalist one, in that there are few characters and few settings. Also, the pacing is very slow and action scenes are repetitive. In the end, From the Dark recycles too many action scenes and the film plays out too simply.

The film begins with Sarah (Niamh Algar) and Mark (Stephen Cromwell). They are a couple on holiday, in the Irish countryside. They take a wrong turn, down a winding road. Then, Mark encounters a farmer, in need of assistance. They gather at the farmhouse. And, there is an uninvited guest. That guest has long fangs and a bald head. It stalks the characters for over seventy minutes and there is no clear winner, until the final few scenes. The in-betweens are slightly uninspiring.

The lighting in the film is the only thrilling film element. Much of the title is shot at night. Once the creature gets going, lighting is minimized to candles, flashlights and cell phone lights. These sources of light hardly pierce the night. So, the monster is able to stalk the characters as it wishes. Sometimes it creeps in close, but it often keeps it distance, until late in the film. The constancy of darkness created some tension.

The pacing is less inspiring and less rewarding. The plot moves along at a snail's pace. Hampered by budget, the film is relegated to the farm. Here, the story tries to find some legs through a series of hunting and stalking scenarios. These action elements are repeated over and over again. Sarah is stalked, until she finds a light source. That light source is snuffed out and Sarah must find another light. The film, then, rinses and repeats, rinses and repeats. The final few sequences finally bring plot elements to a close. By this time, this viewer grew bored of the small story and lack of expansiveness.

The slow pacing and the repetition of action elements made this film a drain, for this watcher. This film has just released (April 17th, VOD), but most horror fans might grow tired of this minimalist approach to storytelling. The settings, during the day, are gorgeous. And, all of the characterizations are mostly believable. Yet, this film never reaches any peaks of terror. From the Dark is a slow film, which only finds tension in a few scenes. This critic would recommend other Irish films, such as In Fear (2013) or the recently released Let Us Prey (2015). These two films offer more terrifying conflicts and more surprises, compared to the stagnant film found here.

Overall: 6 out of 10.

*for fun: if you watch the film, see if you can find the scene reference to John McTiernan's Predator (1987).

A trailer for the film is hosted here:

A From the Dark Trailer on 28DLA


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