The Dark — A Review

15th August, 2019.

Yes: it’s officially official.

I’ve been asked … to swap shifts.

I am not complaining.

It means that, tonight … ?   I can stay up late … !

And watch a movie.

And, in case you hadn’t noticed the poster?



The film I watched was the 2018, Anglo-Austrian movie, The Dark.

I think we have a winner, here.

~≈†≈~

The Dark sees a man we learn is called Josef Hofer (Karl Marcovics) pull into a backwoods gas station: to stock up on food: and a map.

And — before shooting the cashier for recognising him — learning that he is in an area called the Devil’s Den.

Josef drives deeper into the Den: finally finding an abandoned house he feels he can hide out in … only to find the place is occupied … 



By someone holding an axe … 

~≈†≈~

That someone … ?



Is Mina (Nadia Alexander): a seemingly feral child living out in the woods … 



A child with an axe, a taste for human flesh … and a seriously unhealthy complexion.



Someone whose curiosity leads her to the boot of Josef’s car.

She finds the equally young Alex (Toby Nichols) hidden away under a sleeping bag.



Mina?



As we find out, through a series of flashbacks, Mina has suffered at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend: eventually ending up being killed by him.

That hasn’t stopped her … 

But has left her sympathetic.

It seems Alex has been kidnapped by Josef: and blinded along the way … 

Things … are getting interesting … 

~≈†≈~



Now … atmospheric?   Good?   Arty … ?



Hmm … 



Arty?

I don’t know what I could say, there.



I am walking away from The Dark feeling mightily impressed with it.



The Dark is not your ordinary zombie apocalypse: not by a long shot.



We’re looking here, at an old fashioned revenge drama.   Mina, the victimised central character, survives her death, to take revenge on the man who raped and killed her …

Only to lose herself in her condition, once she’s done.



She is — effectively — only half healed by revenge: only half healed of death.



It’s only by helping Alex that she fully starts to heal: making sure that — once he is rescued from a burning car — that she can start life anew.

~≈†≈~



Frankly?



There is a lot I could say about The Dark.

I won’t though.



I will do one thing.



I’m going to seriously suggest you watch The Dark.



With the possible exception of The Awakening, or Let the Right One In?

I know of very few films like it.

The Dark

★★★★