Darker Than Night (1975) User Reviews

Slow-Paced But Very Atmospheric and Eerie Mexican Haunted House Flick

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 3 November 2011]

I cannot yet claim to be an expert on Mexican Horror films, but I'm becoming more and more of a fan of the country's Horror output with every movie I see. Personally I'm a fan of the classic Mexican Gothic Horror tales such as the masterpieces MISTERIOS DE ULTRATUMBA (aka. THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M, 1959) or LA MALDICION DE LA LLORANA (CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN, 1963), as well as the weird Exploitation flicks of the 70s such as Juan Lopez Moctezuma's bizarre cult flick ALUCARDA, LA HIJA DE LAS TIENEBLAS (1978).

Carlos Enrique Tabadoa's Haunted House flick MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE (BLACKER THAN THE NIGHT) of 1975 is yet a completely different style of Mexican Horror film. As opposed to any of the aforementioned representative films, this film is rather slow-paced, and furthermore very sleaze- and gore-less for a mid-70s Horror film. This is not to say that MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE is not recommended, however: the beautifully shot movie oozes creepy atmosphere from the beginning to the end, continually getting eerier and more tense.

After a mysterious old lady has passed away, her niece inherits her eerie mansion and moves in with a bunch of other young women. They disregard the aunt's will that the house belongs to her true heir, her black cat, and strange things begin to happen. When the cat gets killed, hell breaks loose...

MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE is a classic Haunted House flick in which many of the Horror remains unseen. In her essay ON THE SUPERNATURAL IN POETRY, the famous English Gothic writer Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) once distinguished between the terms Terror and Horror in that Terror is the obscure, the anticipation of something horrible that is about to happen, whereas Horror is the actual experience of the horrible. MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE is doubtlessly a film that mainly (though not merely) lives off the Terror according to Radcliffe's definition. The events in the film are not surprising, but somewhat predictable (in a positive sense), the tension being built up through their anticipation. The film's strongest point is the thick, truly creepy atmosphere, a lot of which is built up by the super-eerie mansion setting and creepy set-pieces, great camera work and a fantastic usage of different colors of darkness. Set pieces such as the portrait of the old lady alone build up an incredibly gloomy mood.

Even though it is very slow-paced in the beginning MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE is highly recommendable film. Fans of rather suggestive Haunted House flicks such as THE HAUNTING (1963) should love this one.

I must also mention the cat.

[christopher-underwood · 8/10 · 21 January 2013]

I really enjoyed this. It is paced a little leisurely and is not full of startling action but it is colourful and engaging with a gentle but relentless move towards the inevitable bad ending. A fairly simple, 'Old Dark House' tale featuring four good looking young women who go to live in the aforementioned mansion. They are disrespectful from the start of the building and its 'junk' contents and the elderly Sofia, the housekeeper, magnificently played with complete eeriness by Alicia Palacios, and the film makers seem to wreak their own revenge to some extent by allowing the girls to make such asses of themselves. Also, deliberate or not the many and varied 70s outfits they sport seem to get progressively worse as the film continues. One or two moments of half baked 'soapy' melodrama, usually featuring preposterous plump and mustachioed 'boyfriends but for the most part a creepy fully focused and unusual horror that is well worth a watch. I must also mention the cat. Featuring heavily in the great opening credits, this black cat does not put a paw wrong and is caught on camera looking as mysterious and fearsome as is possible. He also features in the fine original poster.

Chilling ghost story. Mexicans really know how to create a creepy atmosphere.

[insomniac_rod · 8/10 · 25 March 2006]

The plot is very simple but very effective to provoke some chills; a young woman inherits a mansion from her deceased aunt with the condition that she has to take care of her black cat. The young woman is in the necessity of a home mainly because of financial situations so she accepts and invites her friends to live with her. When they arrive to the house they start to hear strange things and also feel like there's a negative vibe. Also, in the house lives the old maid who took care of the deceased aunt. She advertises the young women that the cat is the owner of the house and that they had to take special care on him. They ignore the warning and even remove him from his bedroom. The cat gets on the nerves of everyone and things start to get bad when they decide that the cat shouldn't have that many benefits.

One day, the cat is found dead for no apparent reason. He's found in the cellar. After that tragic event, hell breaks loose on the house. One by one these girls are getting murdered by an unseen figure and the negative vibe grows strongly on the house. Who could be behind the murders? Could it be that the aunt is back from the grave to avenge the death of her beloved cat?

Join these girls in a terrific tale of secrets, ghosts, and mysteries.

**SPOILERS** I love this movie because it goes directly to the point. It tells you the events in such a manner that truly grabs your attention and makes you wonder in fear what will happen next. The plot is simple but it gets more interesting when it's explained that the cat was actually "murdered" by three of the girls. When that is explained, you are in front of a ghost revenge flick that will send shivers up to your funny bone. It's a classical ghost story but it's managed in a way that it's interesting and scary. The direction is perfect. Taboada knows perfectly how to create a creepy atmosphere (indoors and outdoors the house) and how to create tension before something "strong" is about to happen. The cinematography is also excellent. The combination of dark and light is great! and works perfect for the big, old house. The score works and is genuinely chilling. The acting is also great! Islas delivers a solid performance. The same goes for the rest of the cast. The house keeper also delivers a creepy but solid performance. Excellent cast. The death scenes are great. There is tension among them and there is even gore! Violence is minimal but still good. The movie relies part of it's creepiness on some freeze frame scenes where something is discovered (like Dosamante's dead body hanging on the school's library). Also, Mendez death is something to remember.

My favorite moment is when the aunt makes presence. The scenes are genuinely scary and well done.

Please, watch this movie because it is surely scary and very well done. I strongly recommend you to watch it if you're in the mood to get scared. This is how Mexican Horrors movies should be made nowadays!

My respect for you, Mr. Toboada. You really know how to create a scary movie.

Something that has great importance for me is that the women in the movie are extremely hot! I'm sorry but I have to comment on it. Claudia Islas, Helena Rojo, Susana Dosamantes, and the super sexy Lucia Mendez are the hottest cast in ANY Mexican movie I've seen. Claudia is the mature, beautiful, but strong lead. Helena is the sensual but reserved women. Susana is the classy and hard to get woman. Her beauty is elegant, supreme. But Lucia Mendez steals the show. She was freakin' hot in the movie! She was very young and she knew that she had to show her delicious attributes. Thank you Lucia for wearing those steamy short skirts through all the movie. Also, your beautiful face shined through the movie. She's totally worth the watch.

Gatophobia...

[azathothpwiggins · 30 August 2021]

DARKER THAN NIGHT opens with the death of an elderly woman, witnessed only by her cat.

Ofelia (Claudia Islas) is the old woman's niece, and will inherit her enormous house, land, and fortune. The only stipulation is that Ofelia must keep the cat, named Bequer. Ofelia and three other women (Lucia Mendez, Helena Rojo, and Susana Dosamantes) move into the mansion right away.

The women are met by the stolid, sour-faced maid, Sofia (Alicia Palacios). When Bequer makes his appearance, he begins to act in an odd manner. Mysterious events soon occur- unexplained property damage, disembodied moans, etc.

With this movie it's all about the building atmosphere of gloom and uneasiness. Most of the true, more overt shocks happen toward the end.

The all-female cast is fantastic! Not only beautiful, but able to carry the film without a "leading man". This is pretty rare in the movies from the 1970's...

This movie has become a vital part of my childhood memories.

[irosas · 7/10 · 5 June 2010]

My favorite of the Taboada trilogy of horror...I don't think Veneno Para las Hadas counts as a horror movie. The soundtrack is really good for a horror movie- harpsichord, varied themes and styles. With a low budget, Taboada managed to convey fright, something that is hard to do. It has a classic vibe to it, a la "The Haunting" (the original one...no the hot mess from the late 90s). I have to admit, it's rather cheesy, but as a child, it captivated me. What I loved also, now that I'm an adult and have read my share of books, is the nod to Edgar Alla Poe's "The Black Cat." Film-making wise, I think Taboada was an unappreciated genius. I hope Guillermo del Toro honors him by remaking one of the three.

For the Love of a Cat

[fatcat-73450 · 6/10 · 7 November 2021]

Some old lady who adores her black cat dies and leaves her big creepy house to her 20-something niece (or granddaughter? I don't remember). All she kindly requests is that the young woman take care of her beloved black cat, Becquer.

Well, the niece moves in with her three roommates, all young women. Unfortunately, some of these scintillating ladies hate cats and are a bit hard on to help, which leads to some disastrous results for the characters but a bit of satisfaction for the audience as justice is well-served.

It's a Mexican movie, but don't expect to see any tortas, farmers, or street urchins. This movie is firmly grounded in the Mexican urban upper middle class/upper class world and could very comfortably be dubbed into the language of any developed country and I don't think anyone would notice the difference. It exclusively takes place in a lavish manor, an expansive library, and an upscale apartment.

Very effective sets and direction for a horror movie. The house looks big and creaky, like a 19th century manor just made for heinous activites. The head servant left by the grand-aunt is effectively creepy because of her emotionless face and monotone delivery. In short, there are lots of possible vectors the evil can take and you don't know from the beginning where it's going to come out of.

It's a satisfying watch as a moderately creepy drama-horror, but probably not the type of movie that will scare you out of your pants. There are a limited number of frightening scenes but it's nothing too intense.

It's very much like in the tradition of 1970's US horror flicks, but it can't match US horror of the decade in scares or thrills. It also doesn't have any Mexican (or non-US) charm to make it unique, so it's probably low on the list of 70's horror films to watch for the fans out there, but if you do watch it you probably won't be disappointed.

Honourable Mentions: Burnt Offerings (1976). A horror movie where the house itself is the evil villain. More outrageous and scary than this one. Worth a watch!

Scariest movie I've ever seen!

[gapal · 10/10 · 11 March 2002]

I first saw this movie about 15 years ago when I was nine, and I still get scared when I think about it. Ooh, the old lady calling for her dead cat makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. A classic Mexican horror film. They don't make movies like this anymore. Worth watching more than once.

Creepy yet stylish Mexican horror

[marshalskrieg · 8/10 · 8 December 2021]

Moderately paced and highly atmospheric 'Hunted house' flick from Mexico. This film is mostly about the mood and the overall look (of the house and the girls) , fortunately there is almost no 'gore'. Four beautiful ladies move into an old house, but they are not safe. Maybe if they had shown a bit more tolerance and understanding towards a certain cat, all would have gone well, but alas. I have rarely seen a spooky mansion so well utilized- winding staircases, spacious open rooms, an impressive color scheme - all this combined so well with the camera work and dialogue , a wonderful blend designed to led one gradually, step by step, into a state of paranoias, fear and dread. 7.6 stars.

Classic Mexican horror

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 1 July 2020]

When it comes to 70's Mexican horror, the name Carlos Enrique Taboada is one that you can depend on. This one is a modern gothic horror about four young women who get to move into a large mansion with one condition: the dead aunt's black cat Beker.

Yet when the cat is found dead, so are two of the girls - Aurora (Susana Dosamantes, Brian Trenchard-Smith's Day of the Assassin) and Pilar (Helena Rojo, Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary).

Ofelia (Claudia Islas, the "Mexican Brigitte Bardot") and Marta (Lucia Mendez, who as Vanessa was one of the first starring telenovela characters to be killed off) must now try to survive, but seeing as how Marta had joined the other two girls in the killing of the cat, it's only a matter of time before she joins them in the great beyond.

This is a classy horror film that I'd compare to Corman and Bava, except set in modern Mexico. In 2014, it was remade in America as Darker than Night by Henry Bedwell.

Fun if a bit overlong haunted house effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 8/10 · 12 November 2014]

After inheriting her grandmother's house in the countryside, a woman and her friends stay there to help sort out matters but grow increasingly convinced something is living in the house with them and try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This turned out to be quite an enjoyable effort with a lot to really like here. One of the biggest pluses here is the fact that this one really manages to get the look and feel of the Gothic/Victorian style house here which is quite expertly handled and gets a lot of mileage out of. Filled with the grand layouts, spacious designs of the rooms and the twisting labyrinth of walkways and passages throughout, it fits the bill quite nicely with this one keeping up appearances quite well in addition to the fact that the last half of the film takes place in the secret rooms of the house. Using the underground library and the garden outside as the main locations in these sections makes for a rather chilling time with the multitude of encounters throughout there and how the earlier scenes set-up these encounters by focusing on the actions of the ghostly housekeeper and her cat. These are handled well enough for the rather impressive finale to feel like a continuation of these scenes which is where the fun of these come from while also accounting for the chilling nature of such encounters. While there's a lot to like here, it also has a few flaws in the incredibly clichéd and contrived set-up involving her and her friends moving into the house she has just inherited which really has no point here in generating any kind of originality or credibility in forcing them onto the property to begin with. As well, the fact that the girls' stay there includes the visitation by their boyfriends who are left alive by the disturbing lack of deaths here does make their intrusion seem pointless and drags out the running time in the middle when they're featured, yet this still manages a lot more good than bad points.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence, Language, Nudity and violence-against-animals.

Blacker Than The Night

[o_lopez · 8/10 · 2 August 2002]

I have only seen two of director Taboada's movies, the other one being Veneno para las hadas, and both are very macabre. Mas negro que la noche is very scary because we not only hear strange sounds on a very creepy house inherited by four female relatives of the deceased old woman, but we also get to see her and I must say it's one of the scariest ghosts I have ever seen in movies. The reasons of her apparitions are related to her calling of her dear black cat who died shortly after she died. After some gruesome deaths, the ending is shocking but justifiable for people who love black cats.

Classic Mexican Horror

[thalassafischer · 8/10 · 11 May 2023]

I'm a fan of this original 70s film about a group of young women foiled by the spirit of an angsty ghost and her black cat, Bekker. I'm amused and mystified at the choice of name for the cat which is an apparent attempt and fail at an English-sounding name. It would be like me naming my cat Beccia to try to sound Spanish or Italian.

Funny linguistics aside, the OG version of Mas Negro Que La Noche is fantastically atmospheric and easily watchable time and again for your Day of the Dead or Cinco de Mayo festivities. It's worth noting that the plot is fairly divergent from the 2014 remake (of which I'm also a fan). I think I prefer the ending to the remake but you'll have to decide for yourself.

Revenge in the Haunted House

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 25 April 2023]

In Mexico, the young Ofelia Escudero (Claudia Islas) shares an apartment and expenses with her friends, the librarian Aurora (Susana Dosamantes); the newcomer Marta (Lucía Méndez), who is an unemployed model and actress; and the divorced Pilar (Helena Rojo). Out of the blue, a lawyer (Enrique Pontón) summons Ofelia to tell her that she has inherited a large real estate with an old house from her Aunt Susana (Tamara Garina) that Ofelia met once, since she is the last relative alive from her family. In her will, Aunt Susana begs only that Ofelia takes care of her beloved black cat Bequer. She moves to the house with her friends, where they meet the old housekeeper Sofia (Alicia Palacios), who lived her entire life in the house, and Bequer. Ofelia befriends Sofia, and treats Bequer, but her friends hate them both. Unexpectedly Bequer vanishes and one night, Ofelia is returning home with her fiancée Roberto (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.), her friends show her that Bequer was locked in the attic and has died of starvation. Sofia and Roberto bury the animal and soon strange and tragic things happen in the house.

"Más negro que la noche", a.k.a. "Darker Than Night" is a scary "haunted house" Mexican movie by the master of horror Carlos Enrique Taboada. The plot is very well built, with explanation for every event. The actresses are very beautiful and the screenplay is scary and creepy. It is amazing how Taboada uses the supernatural in an ambiguous way, and the story may be interpreted as Sofia impersonating Aunt Susana and the frightened women believing that Aunt Susana and Bequer are back from the beyond. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Mais Negro Que a Noite" ("Darker Than Night")

Creepy Mexican ghost story.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 5 March 2015]

"Blacker than the Night" by Carlos Enrique Taboada tells the story of an aspiring young actress named Ofelia who inherits her great aunt's house and moves in with three female friends.Deceased Aunt Susan has a little creepy black cat named Bequer.When Bequer kills the canary of librarian Aurora cosmopolitan friends of Ofelia are angry.The cat mysteriously vanishes and is later found dead in the cellar.Soon Ofelia and her three friends start experiencing ghostly apparitions of dressed in black Aunt.Slow-moving but suspenseful mystery horror with plenty of atmosphere of subtle dread.The characters of three Ofelia's friends are selfish and arrogant,so it's nice to see them being haunted and killed.8 black cats out of 10.

A black haired cat!

[jp_91 · 10/10 · 9 September 2020]

Carlos Enrique Taboada is the master of the Mexican horror cinema, "Más negro que la noche" is the best film that he directed and one of the best Mexican horror films ever made. A creepy script around an old dark house, a ghost and a black cat. The cinematography and the filming locations are perfect, making a terrifyng atmosphere. The lead actresses Claudia Islas, Helena Rojo, Susana Dosamantes and Lucía Méndez are wonderful playing their roles. A masterpiece!