Upon first glance of "The Dark" the film seems rather disjointed, and in parts rather dull. But on taking the time to watch the film, you'll really wish you didn't bother. The film relies heavily on the theory that little girls in dirty clothes are scary. What worked for "The Ring" seems to have been the downfall of "The Dark". In fact to further draw on this, you'll find that the two are somewhat uncannily similar. In both films we see dead animals, scary little girls, a multitude of people jumping off cliffs and a young blonde distressed mother who simply won't leave things alone. So "The Dark" borrows a lot of its iconography from "The Ring" - that could be forgiven if it also borrowed a complex enigmatic storyline. Wishful thinking indeed. The plot is confusing, and wrapped in ancient Welsh mythology. The main plot focuses on the sea acting as a barrier (or gateway) to a sinister afterlife. Now one who hasn't had their daily dose of silly pills may already be questioning the narrative, but just wait till you get to the flash forwards. Yes you read correctly, flash FORWARDS. Our main character sees herself in states of peril, but doesn't think to avoid these premonitions until it is too late. A typical example of the narrative trying to be the clever one in the class, but getting all the answers wrong. Think I'm being too critical? The weak enigmas seem to back me up. One part of the film sees the main character finding her daughter's sweater in a piece of drywall, and exclaiming "It's a clue!". A clue to what? Nobody knows because the film never references to that ever again! The end is cringe-worthy to say the very least. A short while earlier in the film where Ebrill is recovering ( a little girl who died 50 years previously - don't ask) her makeshift father asks her to wish for something so hard until she gets it. This sticks out like a sore thumb because it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the girl's hospitalisation, and so is of no surprise that we find this to be the twist in the very limp plot line. Avoid at all costs.
Review of The Dark
