The problem with the Horror Genre (as is the case with some other genres), is that it is pretty broad in terms of scope and definition; and that within the definitions which fit, there are too many variables. For example, can a truly well-made "horror" movie include comedic elements? Should it? How much gore should be employed? Do suspense or thrills or adventure add or take away from the genre? There is no clear-cut response to any of this, and so what appeals to one horror-fan, may not be as appealing to another.
FOR ME, what defines a horror flick - gory or not - is that it should make the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear. The Dark and The Wicked did that and more. I am in no way exaggerating when I say that 1. I FELT scared to the point of wondering if I was entertaining 'energies' I should not entertain by watching it; 2. I wondered if I should turn it off; and 3. I said a couple of prayers and rebuked the devil at one point near the ending. Even now, I just got goosebumps.
Now - will everyone find it as "scary"? By the reviews. It's obvious some people did not. Who knows. Maybe there was some subconscious or phycological trigger it touched on in my mind which just "worked". Regardless, in my opinion, it deserves a higher score than its current 6.1 IMDB rating.
The GOOD:
The acting by the two leads who play brother and sister, is nothing short of FANTASTIC. The storyline too, is pretty great in that it is different enough to not immediately remind me of anything else like it. The cinematography deserves praise, and for the most part, the dialogue is in the category of good. As for the (jump) "scares", we've seen them before. I don't blame them for this, as what really in cinema today has not been DONE before? The pace however, is also good and it allows for the tension to build up between these 'scares' (for lack of a better word). In as far as realism (a big part of cinema for me), this film earns MOSTLY top marks. While there are instances where you second-guess the actions people take or do not take AND there is a major plot device to do with a country doctor, which fails (I will not give too much away in order to avoid a spoiler), it's all in the realm of believable and it makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation.
The BAD:
Lamentably, the acting by a minor character is very plastic and felt forced and out of place.
The ending could have, and SHOULD have been done SO much better than it was. Gauging by the content of the film, it was apparent that the filmmakers had it in them, so the fact that no one seems to have pushed for a better conclusion is sloppy, disappointing and would be completely unforgivable if the rest of the film had not had the compelling moments it did.
