The Dark review: Beware the woods in this haunting tale of adolescent torment.
The Dark review by Kat Hughes.
The Dark Review
Several years ago Let the Right One in demonstrated that you didn’t need to have a heap of gimmicks to craft an enjoyable horror story. It proved that slow and steady could still crank-up the tension, and also that films with children and teenagers could be very adult. The Dark looks to follow in those same footsteps .
Directed by Justin P Lange and co-directed byKlemena Hufnagl, and filmed in Northern Ontario, Canada, The Dark takes place primarily in a location known as Devil’s Den Woods, a place notorious for stories of disappearances and strange happenings. The Dark opens with an action-packed bang. Josef (Karl Markovics) is on the run and we join him mid-escape as he arrives in Devil’s Den Woods. Once there, he stumbles across an abandoned house, only it’s not quite as empty as he had hoped. Reclusive undead teenager Mina (Nadia Alexander) dwells there, feasting on those, like Josef, unlucky enough to cross her path. However, offing Josef has unexpected circumstances when she discovers blind Alex (Toby Nicols) bundled in the back of a car. The pair then form a very unlikely bond and something very interesting starts happening with Mina.
The performances from both Alexander and Nichols are beautiful. Both underplay their parts relying on subtly and little nuances to get their characters across. There’s a great chemistry between them too which helps the viewer buy into their stories. Each of them is put through the ringer as well, both in terms of character history and physicality. Nichols has prosthetics obscuring his eyes, and Alexander’s entire face is hidden under make-up work. The make-up is incredibly good and, thanks to such demonstrated talent, they don’t bury the actor. In terms of character, Mina has a tragic and traumatic past, one that has rightly left her with some trust issues; Alex appears to have been brainwashed by his captor. It’s really interesting to see these two broken people inadvertently fix one another.
The Dark review
From a directorial point of view, Lange and co-director Kelemens create an almost ethereal and Gothic atmosphere. The colour palette features a lot of greens, blues and reds. Colour also plays a very important role in the part of Mina, her wardrobe shifting gradually as she begins to metamorphose. The sound design is top notch, it’s especially noticeable in the opening sequences as footsteps thunder over and around Josef, but is utilised well throughout. The music also aids the creation of the desired atmosphere with both Iva Zabkar’s Mina’s Theme and Blonde Redhead’s For the Damaged being particular standouts.
Strong directorial flair, believable make-up work, a tragic tale, and powerful performances prove that The Dark could very well be the next Let the Right One in.
The Dark review by Kat Hughes, August 2018.
The Dark screened as part of Arrow Video Frightfest. In arrives on DVD in the UK later this year via Signature and Frightfest Presents.
