THE DARK is a unique teenage friendship horror film that gives a grim look at those who have experienced physical and sexual abuse. The overall message of the film is that sometimes through these painful experiences monsters are born. The movie, which was directed by Justin P. Lange as his feature directorial debut, uses a horror genre to confront a very dark and emotional topic. THE DARK details the friendship of undead Mina (Nadia Alexander) and blind Alex (Toby Nichols) who form a bond based on their mutual struggle with abuse.
After a rocky and unusual start to their friendship, the two misfits are sent into the woods metaphorically as well as physically, in the hopes of coming out alive and emotionally well on the other side. Although the symbolism was a bit heavy-handed in parts, it seemed well fitting for these characters who have gone through something as horrible and monstrous as abuse. There are definitely the impressions of a first-time feature director. They are small missteps and for the most part, easily overlooked. The comprehensive message is a bit awkward and the film seemed, at times, arbitrarily violent but the movie is still brisk enough that it maintains interest.
Alex’s story was short-lived and still a bit of a mystery in the end. I felt left to wonder how he was kidnapped and what the story was behind this man, his kidnapper, that he feared and loved at the same time. How long he had been missing is never answered and that fine detail does leave a stone unturned that should have been better developed. Nichols does a great job in portraying his character.
THE DARK premiered at last year’s Fantasia Film Festival out of Montreal, Canada and had a successful run through the festival circuit. The film was well received by the audiences as it made a lot of best of the fest lists. THE DARK was released onto DVD and streaming platforms Jan 15, 2019. In the end, THE DARK is a refreshing horror drama that deserves a watch.
