I can fully understand why this film went straight to DVD in the States because, after seeing it in the cinema, I came out wishing I could get my £3.75 back. 'The Dark' is centres on estranged couple Adele and James who are staying in a coastal Welsh town when their twelve-year-old daughter Sarah drowns. That night, a young girl named Ebrill mysteriously turns up at their house and seems to know there is more to Sarah's fate than meets the eye.
It sounds very interesting but what we get is a film that is trying too hard to be 'The Ring' and 'Sixth Sense' and just ends up a boring mess. Sean Bean, who plays James, does little more than stand around while Maria Bello as Adele just doesn't seem to have much of a rapport with her screen-daughter. It is also very hard to connect with any of the characters since we see little of James and Sarah, Adele is rather cold and scatty and Ebrill is quickly established to be yet another evil brat. It would have been far more effective to have seen her depicted as a damaged child who is deserves to be protected just as much as Sarah. As for the 'twist' ending, it is just utterly stupid and makes little sense, leaving viewers frustrated and puzzled. It was clearly a lame attempt to copy 'The Grudge' or 'Sixth Sense' but fell down flat.
The only thing that stands out in this film is perhaps young Abigail Stone, who plays Ebrill in a manner that vacillates between being vulnerable and lost to chilling and defiant. Also, those sheep were creepy in an almost ridiculous manner (they reminded me of the Cravendale advert about the cows wanting their milk back)! Roll on 'Silent Hill' where hopefully Sean Bean will deliver a more chilling, disturbing horror film.
It sounds very interesting but what we get is a film that is trying too hard to be 'The Ring' and 'Sixth Sense' and just ends up a boring mess. Sean Bean, who plays James, does little more than stand around while Maria Bello as Adele just doesn't seem to have much of a rapport with her screen-daughter. It is also very hard to connect with any of the characters since we see little of James and Sarah, Adele is rather cold and scatty and Ebrill is quickly established to be yet another evil brat. It would have been far more effective to have seen her depicted as a damaged child who is deserves to be protected just as much as Sarah. As for the 'twist' ending, it is just utterly stupid and makes little sense, leaving viewers frustrated and puzzled. It was clearly a lame attempt to copy 'The Grudge' or 'Sixth Sense' but fell down flat.
The only thing that stands out in this film is perhaps young Abigail Stone, who plays Ebrill in a manner that vacillates between being vulnerable and lost to chilling and defiant. Also, those sheep were creepy in an almost ridiculous manner (they reminded me of the Cravendale advert about the cows wanting their milk back)! Roll on 'Silent Hill' where hopefully Sean Bean will deliver a more chilling, disturbing horror film.