Darkness
Ohjaus:
Jaume BalagueróKäsikirjoitus:
Jaume BalagueróKuvaus:
Xavi GiménezSävellys:
Carles CasesNäyttelijät:
Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen, Giancarlo Giannini, Fele Martínez, Stephan Enquist, Craig Stevenson, Carlos Castañón, Ferran Lahoz, Francesc Pagès (lisää)Juonikuvaukset(1)
There's something in this house...Something ancient and dark that remains still, hidden and silent. It can only wait, having been concealed in the shadows for years. In fact, its milieu is darkness. Only in it can it show itself and move. It even takes its name: DARKNESS. It's lived here since someone tried to call it, more than forty years ago. Because this house hides a secret, a terrible past, an inconceivably evil act. Seven children, faceless people, a circle that must be completed. And blood, lots of blood... But something went wrong. One of the children got away. The circle wasn't completed. That's why what lives here isn't finished. It's just waiting...It tries to carry out what it couldn't before, making plans in the shadows, to become complete, to be, to exist. A new family has just moved into the house. A small child. An unstable father capable of losing his temper at any time. A perfect target. The right place at the right time. The pieces only have to be put in place. And then wait. Maybe the family's daughter will be able to discover the truth; the dark secret of the past, the sinister conspiracy, the truth about what threatens them. Why is the father getting worse? What is her little brother afraid of? Why doesn't her mother listen to her? And why do the lights keep going out? It could be that nothing happens by chance, that everything has been worked out from the start. A devilish plan, precise and exact like a time-bomb. Her father's illness, the house, the circles, the children. Perhaps she can foresee darkness' master stroke of play and the inevitable destiny that is closing in on her family. But maybe it's too late.... (jakelijan virallinen teksti)
(lisää)Arvostelut (2)
I’m becoming convinced that Jaume Balagueró is tuned to exactly the same horror frequency as I; every film of his is a great experience. Horror rarely scares me, but this author’s films always arouse something in me. What’s preventing a full score is mostly the ending, which I found a bit less effective than the rest of the film.
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I do not have much experience with Spanish cinema, let alone horror films. I thus approached Darkness with initial skepticism. Surprisingly, I was very satisfied with it. It is not a film with a high budget, top-notch special effects, or full of well-known stars. However, it is a film with an extremely interesting atmosphere that reminded me of classic stories by the genre's master, Lovecraft. The main prop is a strange old house in seclusion, where something terrifying happened long ago and no one has lived there for many years. That is, until a new family moves in after decades of decay. This ancient scheme is a tired old song, and at the beginning, the film offers only a sense of banality in the face of trivial family problems. Gradually, strange things begin to happen and events take an unsettling turn. The film's convincing unsettling atmosphere is evident through its excellent, precisely timed music, sound effects, and above all, editing. It all culminates in a finale that truly does not end happily. Objectively speaking, I give the film credit, but on the other hand, it has been a long time since a horror film gave me a pleasant shiver down my spine, which did happen in several scenes. That disturbing image on the wall with mysterious faces has etched itself into my memory. Darkness is an example of a film that follows in the footsteps of the old school of classic ghost stories, and although it works with many genre clichés, it is still skillfully and innovatively crafted. The success of Darkness is partly due to the experienced horror producer Brian Yuzna. Overall impression: 85%.
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