Rating of
2.5/4
"The Dark" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 03/31/12
A mysterious young girl who supposedly died 50 years previously appears at the same time another is feared drowned and her mother is convinced she is somehow responsible. I had never heard of this film before, and with stars Maria Bello and Sean Bean who, without wishing to appear unkind, are firmly rooted in the B-list, I wasn't expecting much. But I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The Welsh setting and story based in local folklore reminded me very much of the old Hammer horrors of their heyday, which is married with stylish visuals obviously influenced by J horror. The result is a very M. Night Shyamalan type affair but it's actually done pretty well. I thought the twist ending was guilty of being a little too try hard but it didn't offend me and it's rather better than the similar The Orphanage, and a hell of a lot better than the shockingly over-rated The Others. And it's certainly a lot more atmospheric and original than 99% of other contemporary horror films. Not bad at all.
