The Dark (I) (2018) User Reviews (143)

The Dark: I wanted to like this, I really did.

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 17 January 2024]

Plot

An undead teenage girl befriends a blind boy that she meets in a forest she haunts and hunts in. Both have been victims of unimaginable abuse, and each finds solace in the other. There may be a chance of light at the end of their tunnel, but it will come with a body count.

Cast

Not familiar with anybody involved.

Verdict

A Canada/Austria collaboration, I went into The Dark knowing only the curious concept, and based on this alone I knew this would be an interesting unique film and wanted so badly to like it. But you know what happens when you go into a film with high expectations, they're rarely met.

Now to be clear this is an interesting unique film, that I could never take away from it. Like it however, not so much. I found it 1 part enjoyable for every 1 part confusing.

It's one that is watchable for the novelty value however doesn't live up to what it promises and therefore doesn't deliver a competent coherent story.

Could have been so much more with just a smidge more ingenuity from the writers.

Rants

I feel like they missed out a large chunk of the story, arguably two and I won't put any spoilers here. But I feel like we're owed an explanation regarding a certain origin and more importantly an element to the story that they implement they kind of just u-turn on with no logic nor reason. Man, this could have been so good if they'd just had better writers.

Breakdown

Great idea Unique Poor execution A few elements feel incomplete.

Unusual Horror Story

[lmcgowan50 · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

I enjoyed the movie but it was more sad than scary. Unique story with good acting. Some violent scenes but poignant as well.

Definitely Yes!

[Patient444 · 7/10 · 24 October 2018]

Just finished watching and came here to review it. I've noticed that not everybody was impressed with it, perhaps some missed the point or maybe they into a different type of horror. I think The Dark did a great job in showing a rather new perspective of this genre, it was intriguing, well executed and had nice acting attached to it.

You will see the drama in it, that is for sure, but it still stands tall as a horror piece. Just not one that relies on gore, jump scares or torture porn. A story like I've never seen so far, doesn't take its sweet time to build itself up, it dives in and dare I say, it delivers!

All in all, The Dark is an excellent option for anyone that wants to see something different, new and provocative. Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Too many unanswered questions

[dj-andygibbens · 5/10 · 21 January 2019]

Great acting but far too many an answered questions.

Different story for once.

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 8 April 2019]

The horror genre is always difficult to rate as not everyone enjoys the same kind of horror. But I can see why there are so much positive reviews about this movie. For once it's totally different, you would almost feel sympathy for evil, or at least for what the little girl is supposed to be. Personally I would not have gone that healing way and just left it at a lost soul due to the early abuse. The acting isn't bad at all, what makes this horror flick worth a watch. As for the gore it's well proportioned, just enough to not turn it into a slasher. An interesting and unique story make The Dark worth the detour.

Dull

[kdycekd · 4/10 · 3 May 2019]

Not sure how this film gets such high reviews, it's tedious and drags along at a snails pace. The acting is mediocre. It could have been so much better if there was a bit more back story to each character, there's too much left unexplained. Is she dead? Not dead? Why is she killing and eating people? Where is Josef taking the boy? And why? None of it really makes much sense therefore I would advise you to avoid. This film is not as good as it thinks it is.

Different

[goldklank · 7/10 · 16 November 2018]

Not a horror film. Unique story between two unfortunate Souls. Wish is was longer and told more!

Over-extended short film

[shrikee-1 · 2/10 · 21 April 2019]

Very nicely filmed, very well played and great looking but at best this is a 30 minute short stretched out to 90 minutes. There just isn't enough content to fill the time and almost every scene is needlessly allowed to carry on for 20 seconds more than needed. This is definitely coming from the Haneke school of film-making. It's all mood and unspoken mystery that never tries to come together in any way. If you're in the mood for that then give it a go but don't expect it to win you over if not.

Nice one

[umunir-36959 · 7/10 · 17 November 2018]

A very good movie with emotions and feelings. Not enough horror but a good one to watch. Can't explain much here, watch it for yourself!

unbearable

[mariobudischek · 1/10 · 24 October 2018]

If you are into watching like 5 minutes of sad-stares then you might enjoy that. Otherwise I found this to be utter crap.

Now you might say that that's just my isolated opinion, but it's actually not. When the film started there were about 15-ish people in the audience. At the end we were 3! All others left at some point. Now just imagine HOW bad a film would have to be for you leaving a movie you paid good money for and I think you get the idea.

For me personally that was actually the worst movie I have ever seen, no kidding! Soo slow paced, bad writing, unrelatable one-dimensional characters, outright stupid ending.

D O N T watch it. I just registered to IMDb to warn you, so don't let it be in vain..

Dark Revenant Drama

[Pairic · 8/10 · 29 October 2018]

The Dark: The banality of evil: a store owner in rural America tries to scare an outsider customer with tales of people torn apart in the Devil's Den when the TV news announces that the shopper, Josef (Karl Markovics) is a dangerous criminal. Josef flees to the Devil's Den and finds a seemingly abandoned house in the forest. But an axe comes through a wall and he is pursued into the forest by the undead Mina (Nadia Alexander). Josef is an abductor who has left the teen Alex (Toby Nichols) in his car. Blinded by Josef, Alex has developed Stockholm Syndrome and is devoted to his captor. Mina decides to let Alex live and flees with him into the forest when he doesn't want to be found by the police.

While Mina appears to be a Zombie, her face shows damage rather than decomposition, she can speak and move normally but is feral and capable of great violence and savagery. A tenderness develops between the teenagers and Mina acts to protect Alex. Through flashbacks we see Mina's past life and how she became what she is. Once again the banality of evil is illustrated through the actions of humans.

A dark film, shot mostly in the night and twilight by cinematographer Klemens Hufnagi, indoors scenes are also captured through a dark, filter but the forest is particularly threatening. Mina slays with a hatchet from above, a knife, bites peoples throats out, yet it is easy to make a connection with her due to her history. Impressive performances from the young stars. Kudos to the make-up, effects and prosthetic department headed by Marissa Clemens, Graham Chivers and Zane Knisely. Justin P. Lange as director and writer has delivered an imposing revenant drama in his feature film debut. 8/10

You can never be too safe

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 27 October 2018]

The write up for the film gives away too much information, so pardon me if I follow in suit.

Josef Hofer (Karl Markovics) is" armed and dangerous." He is wanted and more nervous than the proverbial long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He opts to hide out in a place called Devil's Den...and 28 minutes later, forget that film. We now are introduced to Mina (Nadia Alexander) badly in need of a manicure who lives in an abandoned house. It is apparent she has been abused and there is a backstory to go with it. Hint: mother's boyfriend. Mina meets Alex (Toby Nichols) who was also abused. She takes pity on him and doesn't eat it. They are being hunted...or maybe they are the hunters.

The film drags you in if you don't know anything about it. There are interesting turns that eventually get you to the description the filmmakers put out. I liked how the script played out. Mina was interesting. I didn't like Alex. The plot was different from the formula filled genre.

Guide: 1 f-word I caught. Brief clothed sex/rape? No nudity. 7 stars for originality.

The two mains did their job.

[draftdubya · 5/10 · 30 October 2018]

But the rest of it was stupid and unexplained. A kidnapper kills a guy at at store, but decides to drive no more than 15 minutes away from the crime scene to a abandoned house?! A single cop does his best Lou impersonation from the Simpsons, and goes after this kidnapper and gun packing murderer all by himself without any back-up what so ever.

Dull and

[LiamAnthony95 · 3/10 · 31 December 2021]

Unfortunately, the film was dull and unimaginative. There were plot points that were not even explained by the end of the film leaving the film feeling unfinished. The characters had little about them, leading little care to be had for what happened to the characters.

Some unique qualities, but somewhat bland overall

[efreed09 · 6/10 · 23 October 2018]

This is not a bad movie, nor is it a great movie.

PROS: The acting is superb, all the cast did an excellent job, which is the film's strongest asset. The mood is well captured, and it does a fair job of using emotion properly to convey what is left "unsaid"

CONS: A little too slow-paced, even for the nature of the movie. There is a sever lack of explanation for many aspects of the characters back-story and conclusion. While some might say in it defense that is "leaves it to the viewer's imagination", which I am fine with, this film takes that a bit too far in my opinion, and it makes it a bit disjointed.

My expectations thinking perhaps this was going to be in the vein of "Let Me In" perhaps skewed my opinion. The premise is similar on a very basic level - "boys meets undead girl, they sense kindred spirits", but this film was not executed nearly as well.

unimaginative, boring, predictable

[tobiasschreiber · 2/10 · 21 February 2020]

Good: camera, filters and art of scene

bad: german voices, storytelling (20minutes of story streched to 90minutes), story (warm bodies - but much worser)

justin p. lange is definitiv the new uwe boll

This Stuff Talks Deeper!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 24 April 2020]

This one kinda surprised me. I started watching with zero expectations and it gradually grew onto me. The way the mood has been set here is commendable. With those haunting shots in those far away locations; they give you a feel of isolation. The clever use of sound did make the movie more interesting. The performances as well were genuinely good. Nadia Alexander as Mina just stole the show.

Although the characterizations left a taste of Incompleteness. The lack of information for the character of Alex is perplexing! As he was one of the main leads over there! The slow pace helped in terms of setting the right atmosphere and keeps you hooked through. But at the same time it often became the sole reason for the movie to holding back.

The story conveys Child Abuse, Tortures, Sufferings. And How it could turn someone into a 'Monster' Or A 'Helpless' being. And in that scenario All we need is for humanity to strike back. To have Its presence felt once again. In order to revert back to our natural being and to move on with our life. It portrays the struggles that the victims suffer, the traumas they carry all their lives. It shines the torch on those Teenagers/Children who have broken down mentally or even worse turned into something more horrible just because of their unfortunate painful past. This one speaks for the horror that are around us. It speaks about the Monsters who resides among us. It certainly strikes deeper than usual. And that's What I very much admire.

I really liked that portrayal here. The message here is surely subtle. You need to be invested thoroughly in order to grasp the idea. But you must. The only complaint I have is the wasted opportunity on so many aspects. The promising premise should have hold onto its true potential rather than becoming a mediocrity in the end because of inexperienced writing and Lack of well put explanations. Nonetheless it is a Good watch. One of the better ones in Indie Horror.

WORST MOVIE - would give 0 stars if possible.

[xtyphoonx · 1/10 · 28 October 2018]

I'm not sure where to start with this movie - from the time the movie started it was a trip down hill. From a killer teenage zombie - to blind teenager pissing his pants, ending with them falling in love and her turning back into a hatchet face human. The plot leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The entire movie can be summed up with: A preacher kidnaps and touches boys -> a boy meets a zombie girl killed by her pedophile step dad -> boy and girl fall in love -> girl sends boy away -> girl becomes hatchet face human.

That's it! We never find out the history of the characters, the plot of how they arrived where they were, or what happens in the end.

Seems like someone took a toddlers 'bad man' drawing and say lets make this scary. But what is supposed to be scary? There was no gore, no jump scares, and not even a sense of unease caused by loud noises or soundtrack. Honestly what makes this a Horror movie besides the fact it takes place in the woods?

desperate measures for a desperate kid

[ops-52535 · 7/10 · 23 October 2018]

It barely happens,to watch a movie from the perputrators angle, thuogh the perpoutrator is also the victim . i liked this film as it unveiled the secrets of the victims of a victim,which made me feel sympathetic to the choices and actions she takes. there are lots of blood and gore,but as i mention,there is a reason. the story are merely well told, the loations , environment and settings are well prepared. the filmography and editing are brilliant and the acting are good. what makes a drawback in stars,is the pace of the progression. if you want a horrish pal,then do watch the dark

Dead should stay in their graves

[IzzyMaeDoorite · 2/10 · 31 August 2021]

If you think Nurse Ratchet is most frustrating and hateful movie character ever, wait until you see this film's main antagonist, the undead teenage girl Mina, a supposed protagonist. The Dark has stunning cinematography, perhaps its best feature, because the rest is highly unpleasant and vile.

The said girl, having experienced abuse and untimely demise at the hands of her rapist, does everything to make sure the boy, whose kidnapper she stopped with a hatchet, gets as traumatized as possible. Brutally murdering anyone who tries to rescue him and bring him back to his family, Mina is written as an unlikely ally, and the whole situation as some sort of friendship of two damaged souls. The worst thing is that both actors are solid and even slightly believable, and that is the reason The Dark is much more unsettling that many other horror flicks.

I will never recommend this film to anyone, only as an example of how not to write your characters. The Dark is irritating and disappointing experience from the start to the end that make you believe zombies should never be given consciousness and put into slow-burners driven by situations that require compassion and sanity from them.

Great overall

[michi-52525 · 8/10 · 26 October 2018]

Can someone explain the ending to me? A little confused... how did she turn human again? Was it because she let him go and showed humanity and compassion?

Great acting and story line very real and gritty! A must watch

i'm suprise, it's new but it's strong !

[ariqakbar · 7/10 · 26 October 2018]

I'm not expect to much after josef die scene at the begining. it was really feeble ..

but after that, turns out this movie was gain it's power slowly but sure. they give you strong background, a unique concept. it's a new way to serve a love story and it was good for me.

it's new thing i know, but i dont get it why people gave only 6.

i know most people not gonna like the ending. but this movie need this ending, it make the story become more strong i guess. and btw you guys succeed make suprise when you show mina face. she's beautiful

Dull and unimaginative

[LiamAnthony95 · 3/10 · 31 December 2021]

I found the film to be dull with plot points remaining unexplained at the end of the film. The characters were not likeable which left me with little care for what was to happen/happened to characters.

TERRIBLE!

[janivar-77678 · 1/10 · 16 March 2019]

Awful movie! Works as sleep medicine! Watch something else.

One of a kind.

[benzed · 7/10 · 25 June 2021]

I was riveted through the entire film. Absolutely worth a watch.

Points taken away due to the ending.

I was left perplexed. Not in a way that I had options to add my interpretation but rather not knowing if the end invalidated the entire film or had meaning that I was incapable of experiencing.

I suppose it's the type of ending that some could say "ruined the piece" but everything up to that point was worth the ride.

The ending offered neither completion or closure, an explanation of events, nor open ended to imagine what will happen in the future regarding the content.

Not enough information to know what happened during the film or the future of any characters.