Thursday, June 01, 2017
Michael Allen
Director: Edward Evers-Swindell.
Writers: Edward Evers-Swindell and Antony Jones.
Cast: Siwan Morris, Gareth David-Lloyd, James Cosmo, Eleanor Gecks and Joanna Ignaczewska.
Dark Signal is an indie film from Wales. Developed by director Edward Evers-Swindell (Infestation, 2005), writer Antony Jones and producer Neil Marshall, this film was released in the United Kingdom, in 2016. Since 2016, the film has found an upcoming United States' theatrical launch via XLrator Media. Dark Signal offers a split narrative. One story is more supernaturally based, while the second relies on a serial killer - the Wedlock Killer. Before the two stories unify in Act III, viewers may want to ask a question: are the two stories on the same timeline? There are a few hints along the way. Meanwhile, the film relies on mystery to hold its tension, through the hidden identities of both the protagonist and antagonist. The film uses a lot of obfuscation and too little action. But, Dark Signal does deliver an entertaining viewing, despite its fractured storyline.
There are two storylines, within Dark Signal; though, other reviews have mentioned three? This review will argue for the former and not the latter. It is difficult to say which storyline is the primary one, until Act III. Both storylines are given equal attention and they are layered - a series of scenes focuses on one storyline, followed by the next series of scenes focusing on the other. The film begins with a murder. Then, the film shifts to a struggling DJ and her final night on a radio show. This narrative deals with a haunting at a radio station. The other storyline deals with a robbery and one desperate single mother's desire to stay alive. She is hounded by both a ghostly apparition and a masked killer. These two stories unify by Act III. And, it is important to figure out which of the stories is primary and which is secondary, in order to identify the protagonist. This review will not reveal which is which as that would spoil the fun.
Another important film element is the timeline. Are the two stories unified in time? This viewer and long time film critic suspected that they were not, based on some of the film's promotional material. However, this reviewer has been wrong before. Still, in order to identify the villain, it is important to answer one question correctly: are the two stories occurring at the same time? Dark Signal does its best to hide the answer to this question, in order to maintain the film's mystery. By act III, everything is revealed as Dark Signal finally pits the villain against the hero, or heroine - in a final showdown.
Dark Signal is a small, indie horror feature. Set to release on June 6th in the US, Dark Signal offers two stories in one. Both the supernatural and serial killer storylines merge, along with the film's timeline, in order to create a satisfying finale. There is a decent amount of gore here as the film's killer enjoys his bloodthirsty work. The acting is decent, while action elements are forefront in the final scenes, only. And, there are enough subplots, here, to keep events interesting. Still, the narrative is a bit fragmented on a couple of levels and this disrupts some of the film's unity. Most horror fans will enjoy Dark Signal, if not for the guessing game, then for the violent, final confrontation.
Overall: 6.75 out of 10.
*final thought: Aristotle, in Poetics, states that drama should be unified in: action, place, and time. Though, Dark Signal is more of a tragedy.
A US trailer for Dark Signal is available here: A Preview of the Film's US Release
Dark Signal on Twitter: Dark Signal's Twitter Page
The director's previous effort (Italian import):
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Posted in: 2017,horror,horror movie review,indie,indie horror movie review,movie,movie review,neil marshall,review,united kingdom
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