The Dark (1993) User Reviews (24)

Not bad.

[Kastore · 6/10 · 12 September 2002]

I sought out to see the handful of entries into the horror genre achieved by the late, great Brion James, which led me to check out "The Dark". It turned out to be an adequate late-night movie, owing a lot to the creature features from the 50s. The concept of the monster in this film is original and intriguing, and the thing itself is actually scary-looking, too. The triple conflict between the monster, the hero scientist who wants to preserve it, and the vengeful cop who wants to kill it adds to the story's effectiveness. A few contrivances and assumptions are forced on the viewer towards the start of the movie, especially how the hero survives his encounter with the creature in the opening sequence, and his initial 'adventure' with the waitress-cum-reluctant-sidekick, subsequently followed by their proper introduction at a nearby motel. But it's all worth it once the characters reach the cemetery under which the monster dwells. Most of the action takes place in a single night, which is always a plus for horror. And the whole picture has a very nice, um, 'dark' atmosphere to it.

I was surprised to see Neve Campbell's name appear in the opening credits, and although I was never a particular fan of her, she turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise in "The Dark". Brion James is excellent as the ruthless former detective hellbent on revenge against the creature at any cost. And Stephen MacHattie plays up his undeniable resemblance to Lance Henriksen by doing his best to act like LH, too. Worth watching as a late night rental. Though it never spawned a sequel, it probably deserved to, and I like to think it could still happen. Especially if they can get Neve to be in it! 5/10

The Dark

[Scarecrow-88 · 5/10 · 15 December 2007]

A prehistoric carnivorous predatory creature(which resembles a large-sized rodent of some kind, with a huge possum tail)feasts on the buried dead of cemeteries, creating underground tunnels to travel. A leather-jacketed widowed scientist, Hunter Henderson(Stephen McHattie)is in pursuit of that creature, moving from graveyard to graveyard until he can find it. But, also on it's trail is an unstable, rather homicidal, discharged FBI agent, Paul Buckner(Brion James, just recycling his old menace, but, as always, it works well for his character making him just as monstrous, if not more so, than the creature itself), after it for murdering his partner and especially monetary benefits for it's capture..dead or alive, but preferably dead. The creature secretes a sludge that can regenerate the cells of flesh wounds. Along the way, Hunter encounters a nasty threesome of bikers who threatened the life of a diner waitress, Tracy(Cynthia Belliveau), which ends in a minor shootout with a cook suffering the most of this unfortunate display of violence. With an APB out for them, Hunter and Tracy head on the road as they fall in love. In a nearby graveyard, cemetery groundskeepers portly Jake(Dennis O'Conner)and his young assistant Ed(Jaimz Woolvett of "Unforgiven" fame)encounter an entrance to the monster's tunnel hole and call in police deputies Gabe(Christopher Bondy)and lovely female partner Jesse(a young, pre-Scream Neve Campbell). After Gabe is eaten because of his attempts to see what was inside the tunnel, Jake, Ed & Jesse meet up with Hunter and Tracy..as a collective, the group will try to take the creature alive, under sedation from a special needle-gun Hunter has in his medical bag. But, Paul will certainly make that task especially difficult.

The monster looks like something out of the Jim Henson monster factory..the filmmakers try hard to shade it as much as possible. As I mentioned already, Brion James is the real villain causing much strife towards the others in his goal to kill and capture the monster. Stephen McHattie, a very recognizable face in television often portraying villains, is the laconic, brooding hero in this particular film. Might be interesting for those seeking out Neve's resume..the stuff she was in before "Scream" and "Wild Things". I think creature feature fans might get more out of this flick than most others. The characters aren't really developed overwhelmingly, just little glances into their lives through momentary lines of dialogue..the filmmakers focus more on the monster, it's lair and those pursuing it.

'The Dark' a different mode of horror...

[blackxmas · 5/10 · 1 November 2000]

THE DARK is an ambitious film, really one of the more interesting horror premises in years. Not wholly original, but it's more of a 50's throwback with a fine sense of purpose which is just to have some fun. A giant rodent with a hankering for dead people digs tunnels under cemeteries to get at it's food source. An ex-FBI agent is out to kill it while a scientist wants to capture it for study. It seems some goop it excretes helps quickly regenerate tissue in humans for quick healing.

THE DARK is from Imperial Entertainment, who seemed to specialize in off-kilter genre product. Almost family films, until you're quickly jarred by some extreme violence or out of place profanity. They're pleasantly odd as is THE DARK. It's a little slow in places and I'd have to pin that on the director Pryce. He could've really moved this sucker along. Brion James (RIP) gives a really bad performance; he's just picking up a paycheck. McHattie's a likable non-actor, like Steve McQueen, and his MOVING VIOLATION from the 70's is one of my favorite drive-in films. Of course, Neve is in it, she looks great, but let's face it, she can't act. She's done alright though, a lot better than I, so more power to her. THE DARK is fun, worth seeing, but not if you have to go out of your way.

"Gotta love the smell of death in the morning."

[Backlash007 · 18 February 2003]

~Spoiler~

The Dark is an enjoyable but forgettable monster flick. It starts out as a cliche from hell: A widower drinking at his wife's grave, a bar-fight that asks us to believe a scientist can take three bikers, and a sex scene involving two people that just met. That's the forgettable part. The enjoyable side of the movie comes when our characters finally enter the graveyard tunnels. It seems that there's a creature under the cemetery that feeds off the dead and secretes a powerful healing ooze. We've got our hero, who wants to save the creature, and our villain, who wants to destroy it, racing each other to find the monster first. It's quite an original story, but the way it was done reminded me of Graveyard Shift (i.e. humans running around underground with giant rats). It stars Stephen McHattie (doing his best Lance Henriksen impression, as mentioned in previous reviews), a pre-Scream Neve Campbell, and B-movie king Brion James. When researching the movie, I found out that Brion James died in mid '99. It's sad news, but he left a large legacy of B horror classics and A science-fiction epics. The Dark might not be one of these classics, but it deserves more respect that it gets.

weak Canadian horror

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 3 March 2020]

Police detective Paul Buckner chases a suspect into a graveyard where the suspect is killed by an unknown creature. Gary 'Hunter' Henderson (Stephen McHattie) happens to be visiting a grave at the time and witnesses the event. Two years later, he is determined to hunt down the creature. There are angry bikers, a diner waitress, grave diggers, two local deputies, and detective Buckner.

It's a low grade Canadian horror. I like the underground premise but I don't like cheap monster suit. The most notable is that this is Neve Campbell's film debut in a supporting role as a deputy. The acting is generally fine. Otherwise, it's weak in almost every other way.

an average horror film

[Mindwarp · 5/10 · 20 November 1999]

A scientist and an ex-FBI man are both hunting for a strange creature that lives underground and feeds on the bodies of the dead. This strange monster has the ability to heal deadly wounds, but the ex-FBI agent (played with wild menace by the great Brion James) is determined to kill it because it killed his partner. Be sure to look for an early career appearance by Neve Campbell as a young Deputy.

Because of the average script, combined with a decent cast, this movie manages to somewhat overcome the fact that the monster looks like an extra from a 1950's horror movie. Worth a watch, but not a whole lot more.

middle of the road for this genre

[disdressed12 · 4/10 · 30 October 2006]

this movie wasn't too too bad,i guess.the premise?an ancient creature lives beneath the surface of a graveyard,feeding on the freshest bodies..one man wants it for its remarkable healing properties.believing that humans can benefit from it.another man (a former F.B.I. agent) wants to kill it,ostensibly for revenge in the death of his partner.but there is clearly something else driving him.this premise,or a very similar one, was used a few years ago and to much greater effect.Anyway,that is all i will say as far as the plot goes.the movie itself doesn't have much in the way of substance,zero character development,and a "b" movie quality to it.the dialogue is at times pedantic or plain stupid,and delivered in robotic monotones by some of the actors.however this is not the worst of it.the creature itself is very poorly designed.it is evident in more than one scene that it is simply just someone in a big ape-like suit.the monster is not an ape,but this is close of a description as i can come up with.the ending was not consistent with the rest of the movie,and seemed tacked on when they reached the required running time.not the worst movie ever made by any means.just not overly great.Try "Relic" instead.

Huge radioactive mutant gophers.

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 29 September 2018]

An underground creature who feeds at cemeteries is being hunted by Hunter (Stephen McHattie ) and his nemesis. It appears to be related to the Chupacabra, although not named. The film utilizes a couple of gravediggers for comedy. The creature is a fairly bad fake looking head.

Guide: F-word. Brief sex. Brief nudity (Cynthia Belliveau)

Canadians should stick to hockey not horror

[TomPaine-3 · 1/10 · 18 October 1999]

Give the Canadians their due, they have produced some good directors (Atom Egoyan, Denis Arcand) and some good films (The Decline of the American Empire, The Sweet Hereafter, Felicia's Journey). This ain't one of them.

It's your standard monster-loose-in-a-graveyard flick featuring a giant rat that could have come from a 1950's grade-z movie. The Killer Shrews has more convincing giant mammals and FX than this film. Worth only watching to see Neve Campbell in an early role (she must have needed the money) and why Stephen McHattie's acting style gives new meaning to the word 'minimalist'. He makes Lance Henriksen look like Jerry Lewis.

Fun Monster Movie

[loomis78-815-989034 · 7/10 · 6 August 2013]

There is a huge prehistoric beast that moves from graveyard to graveyard creating tunnels underneath and eating the bodies of the dead. Two different people have tracked it to a certain graveyard but their motivations are completely different. Hunter (McHattie) is a scientist who wants to study the beast for medical cures, while and ex-FBI man named Paul (James) wants revenge for the killing of his partner. Two gravediggers from the cemetery named Ed (Jaimz Woolvett) and Jake (O'Connor) join forces with Hunter and his girlfriend Tracy (Belliveau) to capture the beast before Paul can fill it full of holes. Admittedly Robert Cooper's script sounds pretty dumb but this doesn't get in the way of a pretty fun monster movie anyway. The actors take to their characters and become believable even though the plot is far fetched. Director Craig Pryce smartly uses dark humor as well but never allows this to get stupid as it easily could have. The two gravediggers steal scenes and are very likable and credit should be given to the actors. The movie has an amusing charm to it and rolls along nicely at a good pace. Pryce makes good use of the dark tunnels and the movie has some tense moments and a few scares sprinkled in with the fun. The production values are solid and the lighting and direction is slick. The creature itself is a bit of a let down once you see it, but is effective in the shadows most of the time. A young Neve Campbell has the role of a deputy. The movie has no right being as good as it is, but this is a fun entertaining horror action film that will surprise you anyway.

Trash?

[Crumpler23 · 4/10 · 7 August 2006]

All it needs for a film like this is a monster and a hero to kill it. No, that's the wrong plot. Here we have a tweaked version of this. The one who want's to kill it is the evil guy and the tough and cool guy is about saving that not-so-evil-monster, that good help humans with the powers of its blood. The monster, an ALIEN -like mutation of an very old animal type, isn't especially helpful in assisting the good guy and his girl-friend attempting to convince others to catch it alive.

Overall the dialogues lack power and the ability to convince, and modt scenes show the expected behaviours. Like most trash or b-movies everything fits into the story without disturbing logic. If you like the genre it's OK, otherwise its a waste of time.

Unique!

[Flytefan · 10/10 · 28 July 1999]

I rented The Dark just to see Neve Campbell in it. I was expecting something that at the least wouldn't make me want my money back. I got even better! The Dark is a very interesting movie about a scientist turned hunter who is determined to find the deadly animal that saved his life two years ago. But he isn't the only one after the miraculous creature who can either heal or kill. A unique movie in a sea of recreations and old movies being revamped. The story is very interesting and the characters have histories and personalities. When you watch it, at least in my case, you end up wishing for more not from disatisfaction but for more goodness. Plus, Neve Campbell looks great as a policewoman!

A Good 90s Horror Movie

[loveablejohn-46629 · 7/10 · 24 February 2019]

This movie was pretty good overall with excellent performances from the cast except for Neve Campbell who had just an average performance at best in her big screen debut. The cinematography was excellent along with the creature and special effects plus the script was well written.

Sinkholes in a cemetery .....

[merklekranz · 5/10 · 12 November 2013]

Strange tunnels beneath a cemetery lead monster hunters into a labyrinth where hides a corpse eating giant mutated rodent. Pretty ridiculous premise is somewhat saved by interesting characters. Stephen McHattie is the scientist wanting to keep the creature for science, while, the always evil, Brion James wants to kill it. The subterranean gut cruncher is well hidden for most of the film. This is a good thing, because it tends to mask it's low budget shortcomings. For me, "The Dark" is only kept from monster movie oblivion, by the presence of Brion James. Otherwise this film would be completely forgettable. - MERK

I love this Movie!

[PurePleasureSeeker · 5 June 2003]

I think this movie is one in a million.. I watched it last night on BBC 1, obviously because Neve Campbell is in it. I think she is gorgeous and is a great young Actress in it.. I mean.. It's not every day you find a great Actress at such a young age.. I think Neve was 19 in it. I have to admit.. The Actors/Actresses wern't the best (An exception to Neve) of Actors and the Movie was a bit fake.. But I was kept entertained throughout the whole Movie! I loved it!

Good Ideas, but Falls Short for a Lesser Known 90's Horror

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 4/10 · 27 May 2021]

This is a movie that I had never heard until I was working my way through a horror movie encyclopedia. It has been helpful in finding some of these lesser known titles that are a bit more obscure when rounding out my viewing history. I was impressed to see Stephen McHattie's name listed for it. Aside from that, I came in pretty blind except for reading the little blurb that went with it. The synopsis here is something is alive beneath the surface of the graveyard, something with the power to destroy and the power to heal. One man is determined to kill this mysterious creature while another wants to study it.

We start this movie off with a man drunk in a cemetery. He is Gary 'Hunter' Henderson (McHattie) and he's at the grave of his deceased wife. It is raining and he is drinking away his sorrows. Also in this cemetery are two FBI agents, one of them being Paul Buckner (Brion James). They are hunting something. Things don't as planned as Buckner's partner is taken and Hunter ends up shot. He is then taken into custody where he's roughed up by Buckner and told to forget what happened in the cemetery.

The movie then jumps 2 years later. Hunter is driving long distance and we see that Buckner is following him. Hunter ends up at a small diner where the waitress, Tracy (Cynthia Belliveau), is coming on to him. There is a biker there, Bruce Beaton, who is rude and wants her attention. When he gets too unruly, Hunter steps in. The biker isn't alone and it ends in a shoot-out. Hunter and Tracy flee together, but are now on the run.

We then get to meet two of our other characters. Jake (Dennis O'Connor) works at this cemetery from the beginning and Ed (Jaimz Woolvett) is an apprentice of sorts. He is a bit green with the job and Jake mocks him. They notice something weird going on in the cemetery though. A tombstone falls into a tunnel underneath it. The men both fall into holes as well. We get to see that there is something living down there and it is big.

Everything converges here. Hunter and Tracy arrive with him wanting to capture this creature. Buckner wants to kill it. Jake and Ed call the local police as to what is happening, which includes Jesse Donovan (Neve Campbell) who is a young deputy. It becomes a night that none of them will forget as they come face to face with this very old and pretty much undiscovered until now creature.

I think that gets you up to speed with what the movie is doing. Where I want to start is with the positives. The first would be that I can get behind the idea of this movie. It isn't all that original here with an unknown creature living under the ground. What I do think is interesting though is that it has healing properties from a liquid that it excretes. Hunter uses it for a wound he has and he also uses it on another character later. He is a doctor, so I could see him wanting to study this creature for this reason. An issue I have here though, his plan is pretty weak.

What is interesting here as well is the character of Buckner. I find it so becuse he just wants to destroy the creature. He is part of the FBI I believe. Usually you have the hero wanting to either kill the creature or preserve it. Since Buckner is our villain, I feel like they usually have some maniacal plan, but the extent of his is really just to kill this thing. I don't hate this playing with the conventions of what we are used to for a movie like this.

Then the last part of the story would be creature itself. I think there are some good aspects and some that don't work for me. This is supposed to be prehistoric animal that didn't die out. I'm assuming there had to be some evolution for it since it has fur. To be honest it looks like a giant rat or even a werewolf to an extent. I do know that Hunter states whatever this is; the fossils they found never got to be this big. Being that it has fur, it would have to have evolved to fully work since dinosaurs didn't have hair. I do like this element of this goo it has that speeds up healing in humans. There are also some definitely Lovecraftian vibes here as well.

Where I think I'll go next would be the effects. I will admit that the copy of this I saw wasn't in great shape. I'm assuming it was ripped from VHS which would explain that. What I could see of the creature I thought was good. The back-story we get I think is lacking a bit for what we see, but the more I think and break it down, the better I am with it. Everything here looks to be done practical, which I'm always a fan of. I do think they needed a bit more blood though to bring the realism to what they're doing.

Next will be the acting. I do have some negatives I'm going to incorporate here as well. Before going there, I think McHattie is solid. He's such a good actor so it is wild to see him in movies like this when he was younger. From there I would say that James plays this villainous character well. O'Connor and Woolvett are both fine. They bring a bit of comedy. Belliveau plays a pretty clueless character. Really aside from McHattie, Campbell is the best performance which shouldn't be surprising. I don't want to necessarily blame the acting though. I do think the movie is lacking a bit with the characters so they come out flat to me.

In conclusion here, I think that this movie does have some good aspects. The idea of this creature is one that I like. By having movie take place in the cemetery works for the spooky vibe and the effects of the monster work for me. McHattie and Campbell have solid performances while the rest are a bit flat. The movie really just is lacking with the character motivations and I think this comes from the writing to be honest. I just don't think there are enough elements there and I don't really buy in. That brings me with seeing this as a below average movie for me. I cannot really recommend it unless you want to see the actors I highlighted earlier in their careers or the creature effects. Not enough humor though to watch this with friends while drinking in my opinion either.

NO! I Can't Watch This Boring Tripe

[Rainey-Dawn · 2/10 · 12 September 2017]

This is rather lame. It's nothing special and mainly a bunch of nothing... very little "creepy graveyard" with the big scary rat! Really, that is the ending of the film - the rest just babble from the characters. When it's a creature horror film then one expects to see the creature or even hints of the creature to see often enough throughout but this film does not have that.

I mean, if you want to see a rat creature resembling one of Jim Henson's creatures from The Dark Crystal at the end of the film with a lot of blah-blah the first 90% of the film - then you might like this one - otherwise I will say just pass this film by... plenty of better horror films to watch out there.

2/10

This movie should be left in the dark

[rah-8 · 3/10 · 8 June 2000]

Besides Neve Campbell, who does a decent job no matter what movie she is in, this movie is crap. It tries too hard to be a serious movie, and the situations and character actions are not at all believable. You don't feel like you are watching real people. It's not scary... It's not funny... it's just ... boring. So, unless you are a die hard Neve fan... go watch Dead Alive.

Rubbish rampaging rodent rot.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 7 November 2017]

Stephen McHattie and Neve Campbell star in this dreadfully dumb monster movie that I imagine both actors would prefer to see wiped from their respective filmographies. The wafer thin plot sees a giant, mutated prehistoric rat feeding on the recently interred at a cemetery. MacHattie's character, Hunter, is a scientist that wants to capture the rat for the cell regenerating black goop it secretes. Campbell is Jesse, a young cop called to the cemetery by two gravediggers who discover the creature. Meanwhile, an ex-FBI agent (played by Brion James) is also after the oversized rodent, although I can't remember why (he's the baddie, so I know it wasn't for humanitarian reasons).

If originality, intelligence and coherence are in short supply, as is the case here, a decent creature and a reasonable dose of gore are almost mandatory requirements; sadly, The Dark has neither. The monster is hardly on screen, not surprising given that what we do see looks completely rubbish, and the gore is limited to a couple of gunshot wounds. Much of the action involves the characters running through the graveyard, digging holes, and exploring the tunnels, all of which is extremely dull. On the plus side, Campbell looks nice in uniform, and there is a gratuitous sex scene, McHattie getting lucky with diner waitress Tracy (Cynthia Belliveau)—not much to recommend the film, but it's the best I could do.

The BBC Announcer Didn`t Really Spoil It For Me

[Theo Robertson · 3/10 · 4 June 2003]

I`m taking no chances - ***** POSSIBLE SPOILER ***** -just in case

" A mutant rodent terrorises a graveyard in our late film now " said the BBC announcer as THE DARK started which may have ruined the film for me , but to be honest there isn`t enough of a film here to ruin because as the announcer said this film is more or less summed up in one line: A mutant rodent terrorises a graveyard . Is this a good idea for a film ? I didn`t think so either . You could stick up for it by claiming it`s a homage to 1950s B movies but that`s stretching it a bit , and the production values are very poor , the sort of thing you`d expect from a straight to video film . Not only that there`s lots of little irritants such as if it`s set in Canada ( And this is obvious from the accents ) then why`s the bad guy an American FBI man ? Where`d this mutant rodent come from ? And most importantly of all does Lance Henriksen know he`s been cloned ?

Generic, graveyard-set monster flick is quite disappointing

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 2 June 2016]

A disappointingly below-average monster movie, that takes up the tired theme of "gigantic rubbery monster" on the loose - under a graveyard this time - and destroys it by having a heartfelt ending along the lines of "let's all feel sorry for the monster after all", even though it's killed half-a-dozen people during the film's running time. This is a low-budget Canadian production and it shows, from the minimal sets used and the atrocious design of the monster which makes it look like a big armadillo and not scary in the least (thankfully they never show it in the light, only hidden in shadows).

The acting is average at best, although I did like Stephen McHattie as the leading man - he reminded me a lot of Lance Henriksen, except not quite as cool. The female lead is okay, but the acting of the bumbling grave diggers is pretty awful. It's interesting to see Neve Campbell (SCREAM) in a supporting role before she really became famous, while the ever-amusing Brion James (HOUSE 3) hams it up as a psycho who shoots and beats up a lot of people; his presence certainly makes the film more entertaining, anyway.

Sadly, this film feels like a television movie, right down to the unnecessary sex scene between the two leads and the total lack of gore (aside from a couple of shootings and a quick shot of a severed arm). It's pretty dumb in all, and much of the movie consists of people running around in a graveyard from place to place, so things feel stretched and always at breaking point. Although the film does try hard to be atmospheric, mostly it's just too murky to make anything out in the dank passages under the graveyard where a lot of the supposedly spooky scenes take place.

I would recommend this film only to die-hard monster fans, and for everybody else to pass it by, as it's far below the best of the genre and is even worse than some of those silly '50s monster movies which were at least unintentionally amusing. However, the constant action in the film at least makes it quite watchable, so if there's nothing better on television you could do worse than this forgettable, generic item. I guess there's just something about films called THE DARK being bad...

What can I say other than....AWESOME!!!

[Zanatos · 9/10 · 7 June 1999]

This is one of the neatest movies I've seen in a long time. It is creative, fast-paced, fun, freaky, and surprising all at once. What more could I ask for in a film? Here's the rundown: (it's been awhile since I've seen it, so a few minor details might be off)

Stephen McHattie plays a doctor who is on the trail of a creature left over from prehistoric times: a giant rodent-like beast whose blood has the magical power to heal. The creature lives in tunnels it digs underground in cemeteries, and McHattie has finally tracked the last of its kind to one in a small town. Unfortunately for him, the creature is also being trailed by a crazed FBI agent (played by the always wonderful Brion James) who wants to kill the creature because it killed his partner.

Not much else to say about the plot without giving away surprises, other than that the climax inside the creatures tunnels are some of the coolest scenes I've watched. They create suspense and make you giggle while you shiver. And it is a prime example of how you don't need a super huge budget to make a super movie. Horror fans, this is a must-see! Zanatos's score: 9 out of 10!

Offbeat and interesting creature feature

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 1 April 2013]

A large rat-like creature that lives beneath a graveyard has blood with the magical ability to heal. Rogue scientist Gary "Hunter" Henderson (the always excellent Stephen McHattie) wants to capture and study it while crazed and vengeful FBI agent Paul Buckner (a fine performance by Brion James) is determined to kill the beast. Director Craig Price relates the compelling premise at a brisk pace, creates and sustains an intriguing air of mystery, and milks the scenes in the creature's subterranean lair for plenty of tension and spooky atmosphere. Robert C. Clarke's surprisingly thoughtful script adds a welcome and refreshing element of humanity that lifts this picture above your standard formula fright fare; the filmmakers warrant extra praise for presenting the creature in an unusually sympathetic manner instead of as your typical evil predatory monster. The sturdy acting by the capable cast qualifies as another major plus: Dennis O'Connor and Jaimz Woolvett are terrifically engaging as a couple of cemetery caretakers, Cynthia Belliveau makes a pleasant and favorable impression as feisty dinner waitress Tracy, and a very cute and young pre-stardom Neve Campbell acquits herself nicely as sweet deputy Jesse Donovan. Kudos are also in order for Michael Storey's slick cinematography and the spare shivery score by Paul Zaza, Guy Zerafa, and Alun Davies. A real sleeper.

Solid creature feature

[slayrrr666 · 9/10 · 29 October 2006]

"The Dark" is a really entertaining and original creature feature.

**SPOILERS**

A series of accidents force cemetery workers Jake, (Dennis O'Connor) and Ed, (Jaimz Woolvett) to investigate the accidents, and find a series of tunnels underneath. Scientist Gary Hunter, (Stephen McHattie) and nurse girlfriend Tracy, (Cynthia Belliveau) are tracking a giant creature and come to the cemetery. Meeting up together, he explains about the mysterious activity and that it's been caused by a creature that burrows underground. Ex-FBI Agent Buckner, (Brion James) arrives to kill the creature, and everyone tries to capture it before the other group.

The Good News: This wasn't all that bad as was originally intended to be. The setting is perhaps the best part of this. The sequences in the tunnels are the best parts, full of suspense and giving off a great atmosphere. The darkness in here is used to the best effect, concealing just about everything and making it not quite sure what's hiding in the dark. This is especially true in the opening half of the film, where the mystery isn't explained and it's a series of unexplained incidents that have a great sense of building up an incredible atmosphere in here. The concept for the monster is really clever and has a pretty unique and original. For a creature feature, this is a huge plus as there isn't a lot of that in the genre. The fact that the creature is a fully animatronic creation without even the slightest hint of CGI is one of the best things, as it gives the creature a much more real appearance and is something that looks like it could be a real creation. The non-stop pace is also a pleasant plus, giving it a really entertaining and fast feel to it. The film isn't all that dull at all and really keeps the excitement up. A really solid film.

The Bad News: There's only two things in here that really didn't work all that well. The creature looks hardly imposing and doesn't really give off any scares. It looks good when it's mostly shaded in the shadows, but when it's put into full view of the light, there's very little to get scared off. The other fact is that there's really not a lot of kills in the film, and that leaves the film really bloodless. Its not as gory as it could've been, but the lack of kills in a creature feature is a little off-setting. These are the main things against it.

The Final Verdict: There's not a lot to dislike about this one, and it's a rather creative creature feature that does deserve a wider appeal. Fans of the genre are advised to take a look at this one, and those interested are also advised to take a shot at it.

Rated R: Graphic Language, and Violence