The Dark

The most disappointing thing about this movie is sound FX work. While every other crew member tried to avoid clichés and worked minimalistic the sound operator did his best exactly in the opposite direction. Sure he was proud of himself - every possible library sample from "Horror FX" folder (squeaks, boos, bangs and so on) has been employed at times "to make it scarier".

Otherwise the movie is surprisingly good. Cold and dark Welsh mythology, no fun. Acting is full of nuances. Scares are delivering (reminded me feelings of "Ju-on" (Japanese original of "The Grudge")). No major holes in script, everything is logical, worked in great detail. The climax is overloaded a bit with twists, but except the last one (too confusing way of depicting it) is impressive anyway.

My deepest respect to the cameraman for that catch of the Northern landscapes beauty, for the tricks with focus, for many unusual angles and meaningful use of color FX. That chapter in Annuun treated in sepia is simple and convincing - bravo!

8 marks for the well-worked atmosphere, fresh scares, interesting story, eye pleasures, serious attitude and creativity.

OK while not a great film it is very suspenseful. i saw this movie almost 3 month's ago at the Cardiff film festival an i can tell u that the cinema was packed an at the end of the film it got a great applause because of the suspense it held throughout the film! on the whole a throughly enjoyable film i found this too be a film with a level of suspense that i have not seen in many supposed thrillers in a number of years. yes i'll agree that the film didn't have a storyline that truly linked together but this is becoming a much more common trend in many films now. Also the film is made all the more enjoyable because it is a British made film showing the quality of films that can come out of this country when we try to make a good film.

The Dark is OK for its day but The Hallow (2015) and The Daisy Chain (2008) are much better Celtic movies dabbling in local myth. The Dark is a pretty ad hoc jumble of bits and pieces (past/present, real/dreaming, myth/crime, etc) strung together in what seems like, to me, an attempt to make a 90 minute movie out of only 60 minutes of material. In the last half a lot of sequences look very similar to previous sequences, although I admit the idea was torture and descent. Mind you, The Dark did try to make sheep seem spooky, and one has to admire the attempt. For looks it's very similar to The Daisy Chain, indeed, that movie may have seen what was working or not working in The Dark and proceeded appropriately. In the end the story does make sense, and it is a very chilly conclusion. I still enjoyed it, and it is original to a degree. My main criticism is that the filmmakers needed to make this a darker journey and not such an action movie for the Mum. It needed more pauses, more shocks, and better shocks, maybe a storm, the odd spider. The Dark, however, still tackles a difficult premise to pull off, and in this it has made an accomplishment.

The Dark shocked me really, after seeing the trailer on TV my initial thoughts were that it was going to be a genuinely scary film, however after watching it, it appears it is not as much scary as it is strange!

The concept of it will seem pretty weird to you but it actually works, however there are times in it where the acting is pretty sketchy. I think all in all this film will appeal to people who like a bit of the supernatural or spiritual stuff, and maybe not as much to the people who like a really scary horror flick.

Hat off to Sean Bean, i like most of the films he's in, and Maria Bello does make viewing slightly more pleasant. Some will like it, some won't. Would definitely watch again though.

This movie was pretty good. The acting was very good since they had a good cast. I enjoyed the girl playing the daughter and the other girl that comes later in the flick. We got a chance to see this movie for free, so no worries. It's worth renting if your in the mood for a suspenseful flick. It goes along with movies like half-light where a mother is stressing over their child for some reason or another. It could have been a lot better. The script was lacking in some parts, and the end was somewhat lackluster and confusing. I like it, nonetheless, but probably wouldn't watch it again. I'd suggest renting it though if your in the mood for a suspense flick.