There's the draw from the audience of potential scares and the good cast, but there's nothing ever delivered to us.
Darkness (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:52
Fresh:2
Rotten:50
Average Rating:2.7/10
Consensus: Yet another predictable variation on the hoary old haunted-house movie, Darkness is an illogical, portentous mess.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for terror/violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Dec 25, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $22,036,907
Synopsis: Talented Spanish filmmaker Jaume Balaguero's film DARKNESS is a movie in which an ordinary American family moves to a large, creaky Victorian home in the Spanish countryside that, unbeknownst to... Talented Spanish filmmaker Jaume Balaguero's film DARKNESS is a movie in which an ordinary American family moves to a large, creaky Victorian home in the Spanish countryside that, unbeknownst to them, was the scene of some awful experiments on the night of a total eclipse 40 years before. Teenage daughter Regina (Anna Paquin) decides to investigate after unexplained bruises show up on her younger brother (Stephen Enquist), and her father (Iain Glen) displays oddly enraged and erratic behavior. Although her mother (Lena Olin) and her grandfather (Giancarlo Giannini) refuse to believe her, Regina is convinced that something within their new home is the cause of the trouble. As another eclipse looms, Regina enlists the help of her new boyfriend (Fele Martinez) and uncovers truths that could literally destroy her family. Balaguero mixes tried and true cinematic scare devices with his own brand of macabre originality to bring a well-paced, ominous atmosphere to the supernatural ghost story genre. He drains the film of colorful hues and bright light, and effectively uses sound to paralyze and terrorize his viewers. Having thoroughly scared the daylights out of European audiences, DARKNESS is sure to do the same stateside. [More]
Starring: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, Stephen Enquist
Starring: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, Stephen Enquist, Giancarlo Giannini, Fele Martinez
Director: Jaume Balaguero
Director: Jaume Balaguero
Screenwriter: Fernando de Felipe
Producer: Julio Fernandez
Composer: Carles Casas
Studio: Dimension Films
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Release:
Apr 26, 2005
Reviews for Darkness
This baffling, unintentionally sidesplitting horror show has opened just in time to qualify as the worst film of the year.
All of this, of course, would be forgivable if it added up to a scary movie or made even a lick of sense (chunks appear to have been cut out of a longer cut of the film), but Balaguero manages to disappoint on every possible front.
As in most bad horror flicks, intimations of unspeakable evil are supposed to distract us from the yawning gaps in story logic and character motivation.
Even as the darkness closes in, there is never any real sense of dread. The slow-burning terror soon fizzles out, as does the damp squib of an ending.
A plodding, portentous horror thriller in which a spooky child figures prominently and people speak in hushed tones about sinister doings.
There’s still a lot of European feel to Darkness, which can sometimes be off-putting to American audiences.
Too many plot and character lapses for comfort, even in the traditionally logic-flouting horror genre.
It's unfortunate that the film is called Darkness because this means it will soon be relegated to the Wal Mart bargain bin next to 2003's stinker Darkness Falls.
The film is dark, and a bit slowly paced in parts, but it’s worth watching.
There’s nothing very frightening about this shallow, stupid spookfest.
The movie finally degenerates into a hopeless mass of mumbo-jumbo, silliness, and incoherence.
However, the fact that the creepy suspenseful atmosphere builds up to a risible climax where nothing remotely scary happens undermines all the good work that has gone before.
Darkness is a ridiculous film choked with genre clichés and stolen scares, yet there’s something genuinely dark and nasty wrapped inside all that ridiculousness...
Tries to survive on an aura of unknown creepiness, but that's really just a nice way of saying that very little happens of any interest during the film.
Latest News for Darkness
November 01, 2005:
New Distributor Makes a "Fragile" Purchase
You might not be familiar with the name "Bauer Martinez" just yet, but if you're a frequent moviegoer, you'll know it soon enough. Bauer Martinez Distribution is a... More...
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