Dark

Salutations. This title is marketed as Drama,Horror,Thriller. It's not horrific, or thrilling, so I suppose that leaves drama. It's a strange, cut and shopped together piece that takes the viewer through one night inside the head of a very disturbed young woman. She has no idea what's going on, and confesses the same; unfortunately, neither does the viewer.

The film gets stranger and more deliberately confusing as it goes on. I suspect this is in the name of art, but some shots are painfully long and uncomfortably self-indulgent.

I forced myself to watch it all, but frankly, I wouldn't recommend it. From the teaser 'lesbian sex scene' at the film's opening, through the distasteful running undercurrent of 'rape', to the final slide show of tenuously connected frames, it's not good cinema.

*** for actually getting me to watch it through.

After seeing this I can understand why this film seems to be so polarizing. If you go into it expecting a typical plot driven suspense/horror film you'll be disappointed. If you go in with an open mind and click into what the film is doing you'll be treated to an experiential, character driven thriller which pays off in the end. At its center is an award worthy performance by Whitney Able as a very damaged young woman (ex-model) whose internal demons manifest themselves in the darkness of her New York city apartment during the 2003 blackout. The performances are strong all around and it's beautifully shot, especially it's use of darkness and what you don't see. The film can be slow in parts but is ultimately in the service of character arc and building atmosphere. If you have patience you'll be rewarded with an astounding performance and suspenseful voyage into the id.

Even the worst films have some redeemable qualities, be it good acting, a solid premise, or even a good musical score. This film has absolutely none of that. Rarely have I seen such inept and completely talent-less film making, but this...this takes the damned cake with the many poor decision are made. First, the premise; What, exactly, is going on here? Is it the story of a Lesbian who suddenly decides that she doesn't like girls anymore? Is it the story of the NYC blackout of 2003? Or is it a story of girl who is mentally ill in some way? None of these questions are really answered. What you will find, however, is a useless lesbian sex scene (denoting some form of abuse or BDSM that is never fully realized), some absolutely horrendous acting by the female lead, and supporting characters that should never be given a role in a film ever again. The movie moves in a plodding pace, barely anything happens, and when it does, it is hidden by the poor use of shadow during the "blackout".

I have seen some dreadful movies in my day, and if you look at my review history, I do not shy away from calling a spade a spade, but this film has got to be one of the most inept, embarrassing, and downright insulting excuses for a horror film I have ever seen. Nothing about this film will be remembered, and for good reason; it is a shameful vanity project that shows neither merit nor skill, and you be be lucky to never have seen it. Avoid it like it has an airborne disease and your immune system is compromised.

Phenomenal performance by Whitney Able and the rest of the cast with great direction by Basile. One of the best arty indies I've seen this year. It's an atmospheric and intense emotional ride through the very disturbed brain of the main protagonist. I wish there were more movies made like this. It's also a terrifying and unsettling depiction of New York City during the blackout. I've read some comments where people complain about the film being too slow or too ambiguous. For me the gradual build and deliberate pacing is what set this film apart and allowed for me to really care about the main character. The finale of the film wouldn't have worked nearly as well if the buildup was rushed. I also really liked some of the ambiguous elements in the film. Today it seems like audiences want everything spelled out. The filmmakers here instead allow the audience to fill in some of the blanks which I find refreshing. Admittedly, this may not be everyone's cup of tea but I found it to be surprisingly well done. A very underrated thriller which I highly recommend.

This film rather took me by surprise. I went into this with no preconceived notions other than it was about the North American blackout of 2003 and had Alexandra Breckenridge (The Walking Dead) in it. This film hit me on a deeper level than expected and stayed with me for quite a few days after seeing it. It's portrayal of a young woman with mental issues, suffering from a very deep depression played to perfection by Whitney Able (Monsters) related to me. Knowing someone personally who dealt with depression, I thought the movie captured that state of mind completely. The subtle depiction of the lead, Kate's, slowly devolving emotional state through to it's brutal ending was uneasy to watch. I can see why some people may find the movie slow but I was gripped throughout because of the lead character. The acting is superb as well as the "jump cut" editing style and the cinematography, naturalistic and beautiful. The sound design, particularly in the second half, was really well done, especially considering most indie films usually fail on sound. It makes NY seem like a very intimidating place, at least in the main character's mind. Even though the film is set in NYC, it feels very much like a European film. Having grown up in the UK and loving a lot of art house films, most European cinema has never been plot-focused. European directors usually focus on the accurate representation of internal states, rather than external drives. This film's goal can be described in the same way and pulls it off quite successfully. It's definitely a movie that will not please everyone. It's not "entertaining" in the traditional movie sense but rather a cathartic, intimate experience for 93 minutes. If you like arty cinema with dark subject matter, you'll absolutely appreciate this indie gem.