Budget: Unknown
Directed By: Justin P. Lange
Noticed a trend with a lot of smaller productions from the past 5 years or so, a lot seem to have little to no budget info. With these more b-movie type films I like to know what's done on what they had to hand, allows me to shower more praise too if it's done on a smaller budget.
Anyway this movie is a strange one, a very authentic storyline of the likes I haven't seen before. I've seen similar yeah bit this seems almost dare i say it, original, gasp!
A very mixed up production as far as I can see too. Austrian film, filmed in a lot of Canadian locations with mixed actors.
This doesn't detract from anything though, in fact writing and acting is one of the most strongest points of this film (for the most part). It was originally shown at the 2018 Tribeca film festival, then shown officially in October 2018.
Actors wise the chops on some of these people is reasonably expansive, though I haven't seen any of the things they've been in before. Nadia has been in episodes of Elementary, Law&Order, Boardwalk Empire as well as other things and a few other festival type films. She seems the one with the most acting credits and it shows.
The film starts off like it's going to be a haunted house type affair. Even setting up a story that the house the guy is going to is your usual people vanishing type.
When the shop/gas station owner finishes telling our seeming protagonist this news the TV shows him as a wanted man. He blows away the owner with a revolver, putting us in mind that he might not be a protag we want to back.
Arriving at the house the guy is quickly freaked out by a ghastly looking girl. Not sure if she's a zombie it's never really stated and if she is she still has her faculties and can actually get hurt too, though this might be for a later reason.
He tries to run into the forrest to escape her but is slowed by traps she's set up, the blammo she's axed his face a question. She then proceeds to eat some his guts, very zombie like.
A little later she discovers a blinded boy in the back of his car. He's also severely atrophied and shit scared that Josef will get him. He's called Alex and the girls comes close to killing him but something stops her from doing it. From here on they form a steadily increasing friendship as they run and hide from people who are looking or hunting for Alex. The girl, Mina syarts having flashbacks to her previous life and it seems she was abused. Then fighting back one night her abuser kills her.
Yet somehow she returns from the grave kills him and her mum and goes to live in the woods as a monster.
One thing that did grind my gears, Buuuut I did understand as the kid was severely mentally scarred, is that Alex keeps thinking Josef is coming after him long after Mina has told him (multiple times) he's dead.
Also he says Josef has people that will come looking, I'm pretty sure no one does as the only other people are a search team out searching for the kid (after Mina kills a cop).
Now throughout the film Mina actually seems to be becoming less gross almost healing too, as in like a grinch type action of helping Alex is repairing her. This is the reason why I think she gets hurt some later on in the film.
Now it is a slow film, it's got good kills and goes when it does pick up though, it's also nice to see a friendship maybe even a relationship of sorts form between Alex and Mina but I'll leave it there as THN doesn't spoil endings as you know.
THN awards The Dark 2018 a strong 3 out 5
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