Friday, March 17, 2017

From The Dark


Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Conor McMahon

Starring: Niamh Algar, Stephen Cromwell, Ged Murray, Gerry O'Brien

From: Abandoned Films/Workshed Films

Yep, I watched an Irish movie today, as there was no better time than today to post a review of such a thing. Thankfully I can say this horror film was fine. I talk about the shamrockin' film below:

What better time to post a review of a fully Irish production, directed by a guy from Ireland and starring a female lead from The Emerald Isle? While I discovered what The Big Bad was beforehand (although it's made clear in the opening scene what it is, so that is no big deal) I otherwise did not know what I would think of this, and it was indeed possible I would give this a low score. I was thankful then that I can say this is fine.
The plot definitely sounds cliché: a young couple are driving in rural Ireland, and the guy is a total tool so he gets them lost and they get their car stuck. They have a real bad night as they deal with a creature; I won't reveal what that creature is except to say it's not a leprechaun.
The movies does some things right. Most of the effects are practical, which I definitely enjoy in this day and age. The creature is mainly hidden in the shadows or obscured. This is not done because it looks bad (rather, it looks decent) but for the effect of atmosphere. I wish that more low-budget horror did things like this so they don't look as cheap as they are, or use horrid CG that looks so fake it ruins your enjoyment. The quite small cast all does a fine job, especially Niamh Algar as our hero, Sarah. I was amused that she was the one who took charge while her boyfriend Mark was a real A-hole and also a buffoon. Sarah deserves a better boyfriend, one who doesn't always yell at her or cuss her out or constantly interrupt her. Anyhow, the movie also has a sort of gimmick and once it starts, the movie finds various ways to keep it interesting so you never become bored.
The film looks fine and there's an appropriate creepy musical score from Ray Harman. While there are some dopey moments, overall this was an enjoyable watch set in the rural Irish countryside and I presume it's not only notably better than a lot of the horror you find on Netflix Instant (where I watched this) but also better than some of the horror that's gotten wide release in the United States the past 6 months or so.

No comments:

Post a Comment