The Dark (DVD)

...Not only does she resemble the missing girl, but she claims to know where she is and that she has come back from the dead to replace her.

"Ginger Snaps" director John Fawcett seems to have lost his grip on all things scary. "The Dark" is a ramshackle film cobbled together from bits and pieces of far better horror films and nonsensical ideas that don't hang together convincingly. Fawcett doesn't have a strong directorial ...
...only serve to make the viewer disoriented. He is too fond of confusing montages of barely seen images at breakneck pace. They don't serve any purpose at the beginning of the film because you haven't been introduced to any of the characters or locations. So they have no context. Later in the movie, they reveal too much and therefore undermine any scares. The editing throughout is choppy and this leads to a disjointed feeling that hinders the audience's ... more

When their daughter dies in a tragic accident, estranged parents Adele and James are overcome with guilt. Both go about handling it in their own way. He comes to terms with his loss, but she is convinced that Sarah is still alive and reaching out to her. Matters are further complicated when a mysterious young girl named Ebrill appears. Not only does she resemble the missing girl, but she claims to know where she is and that she has come back from the dead to replace her.

"Ginger Snaps" director John Fawcett seems to have lost his grip on all things scary. "The Dark" is a ramshackle film cobbled together from bits and pieces of far better horror films and nonsensical ideas that don't hang together convincingly. Fawcett doesn't have a strong directorial style. His attempts at making the film fast-paced and exciting only serve to make the viewer disoriented. He is too fond of confusing montages of barely seen images at breakneck pace. They don't serve any purpose at the beginning of the film because you haven't been introduced to any of the characters or locations. So they have no context. Later in the movie, they reveal too much and therefore undermine any scares. The editing throughout is choppy and this leads to a disjointed feeling that hinders the audience's comprehension.

There are too many film school tricks in use for the director's shooting style to feel fresh or original. He uses bleached-out blurry flashbacks in a desperate attempt at mystery. But they are too frequent and repetitive to maintain any interest. There are copious barely-heard whispers and creepy shadows that are a substitute for atmosphere. In a similar vein all the night shooting has a smudgy effect that smacks more of low budget than innovation. Continuing the trend is his attitude to frightening the viewer, using the old horror equation; loud plus sudden equals scary. However, the device is so prevalent within the genre to feel like nothing more than a cheap trick. The more original aspects of the story appear to outfox the director. No matter what you do to them, sheep may occasionally be unsettling, but they are never scary. Even if they are shot in extreme close-up, dyed brown, spattered with day-glo paint and placed in a sepia-toned netherworld.

The screenplay by Stephen Massicotte is based on a novel by Simon Maginn. Presumably the book is scarier and more atmospheric than the film; otherwise I don't understand how the author could have got it published. The narrative relies on a jigsaw structure that offers us a vague outline, then fills in the gaps as it tootles along. The pacing is somewhat odd. It takes a waltz tempo (slow, slow, quick, quick, slow), so the audience is never quite sure what is going on and is never allowed to settle into the story. Consequently, the story feels plodding at times and rushed at others. This particularly affects the character development. Adele changes from hard-bitten cynic to bereaved mother to credulous believer in record time. However, there is very little characterisation to build on. Everyone is either a good or evil archetype or a good archetype forced to do evil things. So there's nothing for the watcher to relate to. The plot is hampered by the insistence on focussing on the cod-mysticism of the Shepherd's beliefs and constant yo-yoing back and forth in time to explain them. It also conforms to too many horror devices. Why do stupid blondes always head towards the creepy noises in the attic? And why do people feel the need to live in spooky houses in the middle of nowhere? Towards the end of the film, the story descends into nonsensical dream sequences and near-death experiences, piling twist upon twist without any regard for logic or narrative coherence. As a result you'll have stopped caring at least fifteen minutes before the movie hits its ninety-three minute running time.

Maria Bello is a far better leading lady than this tripe deserves. She gives a consistent and committed performance as grieving mother Adele. She is believable because the character isn't solely defined by her maternal instinct and she plays the role of bad mother very well. She does fish-out-of-water with ease and maintains a sense of tension that suits the part. However, she is too easily convinced of the supernatural forces at work, though this is more down to the dodgy script than the actress. She's what would be described in film noir as "a plucky broad" and you could easily see her going to the ends of the earth to get what she wants.

Sean Bean is back to his staid and slightly wooden turns pre-"Lord of the Rings". He's a vague, warm presence as James but doesn't have enough about him to provoke empathy or sympathy from the audience. It feels like a television performance transplanted onto the big screen. Sophie Stuckey, who plays daughter Sarah, is exactly the kind of petulant screen teen you want bad things to happen to. She's a demanding, stroppy and irksome little creature with nothing to recommend her. As ghost-child Ebrill, Abigail Stone is odd but not scary. I get the feeling she didn't really believe in her character and that translates onto screen. There's too much acting going on and not enough being. But she is only a child and I suppose it's difficult for one so young to really grasp the malevolence that should emanate from the character. Maurice Roeves gives solid support as local Daffydd, but is underused.

The score by Edmund Butt is loud and overbearing through much of the movie. His excessive use of kettle drums and loud, repetitive, distorted vocals is a failed attempt to add tension to the action. It just smothers it. His use of breathy noises and foreboding strings is predictable and marks it out as yet another uninspired selection of incidental horror music.

It's admirable in this technological age to see a director willing to use on-screen physical effects almost exclusively. However, this is tempered by the fact they are so poorly executed. A bit of dodgy paintwork and some blurry photography doesn't exactly make for brooding terror in my book.

"The Dark" is yet another doomed British production that fails to live up to its pedigree. Even with a respected horror director and talented leading lady, little comes of it. Considering it is supposed to be a brooding supernatural chiller, it is remarkably bland and un-frightening. The script may be to blame for the majority of problems within the film (nonsensical plotting and poor character development), but the director hammers the nails into its coffin. A lot can be done with a small budget (look at Fawcett's "Ginger Snaps"), but when the direction is unfocussed and hackneyed, it leaves everyone else floundering. The result is an extremely mediocre ghost story that is neither scary nor interesting. Watch it only if you actually have a sheep phobia. 

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