Movie Review - Devil In The Dark

Devil In The Dark

(2017)

Co-Pilot Film Services : eOne Entertainment / Momentum Pictures

2.25 / 10

Nice poster shame about the film... well, shame about the story actually.

This is NOT a horror story, nor is it a thriller.  Basically, this is a drama about two brothers and their relationship in relation to their father and his death.  These two brothers, Clint, played admirably by Dan Payne, and Adam, nicely acted by Robin Dunne, are two very different people with different interests and lives.  Though in an effort to build some kind of connection between them Adam asks his brother to go on a camping trip with him.  Clint turns it into a hunting trip.  Adam agrees though he doesn't like hunting.

Adam suffers from a reoccurring nightmare where he's a kid lost in the woods.  He finds himself in a strange clearing of dead trees that are decorated with stags antlers.  There's something in the woods with him though he never gets to see what it is.

Imagine his horror when on the hunting trip with his brother they find themselves in the very same dead tree clearing.

It takes half of the film to get to this point.  Up until then, we see the brothers arguing with each other, remembering past times, reconciling over other things.  Even though the actors do a good job with their characters it's the story, written by Carey Dickson, that makes them unbelievable.  It's not until the second half of the film that we're told it was Adams idea to come see his brother; if this is the case then why does he arrive late to dinner, wasting time driving around the town, and leave quickly afterwards to spend time with his old drinking buddies getting drunk.  This doesn't ring true and there are plenty of other places in the script that feel the same way.

The director, Tim Brown, doesn't bring anything to the film.  Instead of creating an atmosphere of unease and terror in Adam's dreams or when the brothers are troubled in the woods, he just gives the audience a bland rendition of the story.

The big letdown of the film is the reveal of the woodland monster.  If you're a horror fan you'll know instantly where you've seen the naked blind albino humanoid form before - in a more terrifyingly atmospheric film than this, is where.  On the heels of that is the "twist" at the climax.  It's been done before and better - you just know it's coming.  It's meant to leave you with a chill.  It just left me sighing and shaking my head.

There are some good elements in the film which should have been built upon.  The dead tree clearing.  The stag's antlers.  The antler tunnel.  With these alone, a good writer should be able to form a story to chill the bones.

If you like horror films or thrillers then stay away from this movie, you won't get anything out of it.  Though if you like dramas with moaning brothers in them... I still wouldn't recommend it.