They Wait in the Dark

I pride myself on being good at guessing the twists and turns of almost any film I watch. My husband gets annoyed that I guess the ending at only 15 minutes into the movie. However, this one got me. It subverted my expectations of the genre and made me think I knew what was coming. I did not know what was coming... at all.

Aside from the excellent story-telling, the cinematography was beautifully shot and the acting was honest and naturalistic. This was one of the more satisfying horror films I have seen in a good long while. I definitely recommend it for a weekend watch. Or weekdays, I don't dictate your movie-watching times!

It's really refreshing to see more female lead films in this genre that isn't necessarily a "final girl" "scream queen" trope. The twist was completely unexpected and the story was so well done. A lot of people leaving bad reviews are expecting a high budget Hollywood style film and don't appreciate the material as is. As a fan of indie film, this one really is a breath of fresh air. Patrick does an amazing job of creating/directing these strong female characters in a way that feels empowering and authentic. The story is creepy and immersive. You really feel the emotions of panic and terror that the main character is feeling.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who's a horror fan. Amazing work!

While I enjoy reading film reviews, I am always cautious about putting my faith in another's opinion. Disclaimer noted, you can take mine for what it is worth. I am not a huge fan of the horror genre. (Stay with me) To me, there are common threads of cinematic elements often absent from this type of film. To the die-hard loyalists, this appears to be an acceptable part of the amalgamated enjoyment of the niche.

This is my second look at a Rea feature, ("I am Lisa") being the first. One of the primary reasons I gave "They Wait in the Dark" a take was due to Rea's simplistic approach in "Lisa". Sometimes less is more. One of the drawbacks for me in this realm is the gravitation toward over-the-top and gratuitously excessive gore. For others, this is part of the draw and appeal. To each their own.

I am looking at this film through a comparative lens. If you're expecting "Schindler's List" or "Shawshank Redemption", you're not going to find it. "They Wait" is a departure from the excessively gratuitous gore infused with a plot centered on human relationships. However, if you want to compare apples to apples and looking for horror, make sure to give "They Wait in the Dark" a chance.

I had the pleasure of screening this at a movie theatre in Kansas City, where this film was made. I had the pleasure of meeting the director, Patrick Rhea and the lead actress, Sarah McGuire, both super nice people and did a q&a.

The ending of the film actually did shock me. It was a pleasant surprise.

For me, it was so cool seeing a film that was filmed in my area by local filmmakers.

As you can tell it's a low budget horror film, it didn't take away from the great performances and shock factor of the ending.

I would recommend giving it a shot with an open mind. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Not good, not 100%. Was drawn in by the 100%. Don't do it. This is my first ever review, i started an account to leave this specific review. I'm leaving a 2 to hopefully break that current rating to a more realistic expectation. However, I honestly regarded it closer to like a 3.25. It's a slow burn like a wet fuse to dynamite - is it? Is it happening? It's happening? Is it? Okay well now i'm invested because apparently i'm already halfway through. Ohhhhh oh okay. Annd it's done.

For what they've accomplished as an indie with low budget? Mmk, i guess. There were just too many moments with the writing and the acting that i couldn't bear: high presence of poorly delivered poorly written lines.