Dark Was the Night
- Horror, Thriller
- Beschikbaar voor VOD: 21 september 2015
- Regie: Jack Heller
- Cast: Kevin Durand (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Real Steel, Noah, Resident Evil: Retribution), Lukas Haas (Witness, Inception, Transcendence, Contraband), Bianca Kajlich (Rules of Engagement, Undateable, Halloween: Resurrection)
Maiden Woods, in het noordoosten van Amerika. Een afgelegen, vredig stadje, met een hechte, fatsoenlijke gemeenschap. Maar er roert iets in de donkere bossen rond Maiden Woods. Van vader op zoon worden verhalen verteld over de bomen en hun bewoners. Waarnemingen. Verdwijningen. Geweld. Maar ach, dat is allemaal folklore.
Tot nu.
Wanneer een houtkapbedrijf lelijk huishoudt in het naburige woud, gebeuren er plots vreemde dingen. Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Noah, Resident Evil: Retribution) doet die echter af als ongein van een creatieve grapjas. Maar Shields gaat gebukt onder schuldgevoelens om het verlies van zijn oudste zoon, een half jaar eerder, en naarmate het onderzoek vordert, beginnen zijn eigen demonen hem parten te spelen. Bovendien zou de folklore wel eens een kern van waarheid kunnen bevatten.
IJzingwekkende horrorfilm die als sluipend gif je lichaam en geest binnendringt...
Reviews- NYTimes.com: he sets a gruesome, heartbreaking tableau.
- CrypticRock.com: It is not often that viewers get all they hope for in a movie, but Dark Was the Night delivers what it promises. Seamless special effects and Hisel's extraordinary plot, complement the exceptional direction by Heller. The pair certainly make a force to be reckoned with in the movie genre. A must watch, with a surprise ending, CrypticRock gives Dark Was the Night 5 out of 5 stars.
- Filmpulse.net: Dark Was the Night is a well made creature feature. It does have a decent story, characters you can care about, strong acting and a creature you'll want to see more of. Genre fans should check this one out for sure.
- Culturecrypt.com: Dark Was the Night is a creature feature, but it is not about the creature. The focus is firmly on the human element, and thus, the restraint in the reveal is a boon instead of a hindrance. Suspense is achieved naturally with a steady-handed camera and sure-footed directing, both of which keep the film grounded in a sense of reality. Without gore and with no significant human body count to speak of, the film instead finds an organic approach to fostering fright with a slowly smoldering style. It doesn't break the monster movie mold, but does fill it to capacity with eerie atmosphere and creeping chills elevated by terrific acting. 8/10.
- Best-horror-movies.com: See it. See it. See it! I'm afraid I must insist!
- Bttm.co.uk: Another wonderful addition to Screamfest, great cinematography, fine performances from the leading man and lady and full credit to Jack and the team for pulling off a creature feature that has some deep emotion running through its veins. A strong piece of cinema and a joy to watch.
- Craveonline.com: Dark Was the Night is a superb emotional drama about a family coping with a loss. It is an exquisite creature feature too, but I would have totally just watched the family drama. Durand is an absolutely compelling leading man, and what makes the Shieldses so riveting is that they talk intelligently about their psychological issues. Dark Was the Night absolutely deserves to be seen on the big screen, so I hope an ambitious distributor is listening.
- Chud.com: Dark Was the Night is like a combination of John Carpenter's The Fog and the 1988 remake of The Blob, with a dose of American folklore thrown in for good measure. This movie is an enjoyable and entertaining watch. Kevin Durand gives his all in this one and absolutely earns every bit of credit for this being his first starring role. Check it out!
- RogerEbert.com: Does, deliberately, build to a tense and sometimes jump-from-your-seat scary climax which finds most of the small town’s residents holed up in the local church, trying to nail down what has by this time been pretty firmly established as a bonafide monster stalking the local woods. And the quest is, it turns out, made more engaging by the guilt and self-doubt experienced by its main characters.
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