Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween Horror, Day Twenty-four!
Today we’re covering…
The Dark and the Wicked!
Movie Details:
- Release Date: 2020
- “Run”time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Where to watch it: Streaming
- Directed by: Bryan Bertino
- Written by: Bryan Bertino
- Starring:
- Marin Ireland
- Michael Abbott Jr.
- Julie Oliver-Touchstone
Synopsis: Two siblings go back to their family farm to help with their dying father, but a dark presence is also there.
Open Stab Wounds (out of 10): 10
Review: This is another film on the list where I’m going to give as little plot and spoilers as possible. I’d watched the trailer for this one a while back and thought I had a good idea of what it was going to be about… I was wrong. Perhaps that is why this one had an impact on me, but I think it is because it was well made and well told. It was a film that truly lives up to its name, The Dark and the Wicked.
Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) and Louise (Marin Ireland) are a couple of siblings who’ve come back home to their family farm. Their father is dying and their mother is struggling to take care of him in his final days. Their mother had told them not to come, but both Michael and Louise insisted that they should be there to help. Their mother seems on edge, as if there is more going on than just her husband’s poor health. She seems frightened and throughout the movie we find out why. There is some sort of presence that is there for their father.
From the opening shots I was filled with a sense of unease. You can tell that something isn’t right, but can’t quite tell what it is. Being set on a farm adds to the growing feeling of being isolated with nowhere to run. As it goes on, you’ll be questioning what is real and what is imagined, and you may not receive the answers you want.
Michael Abbott Jr. and Marin Ireland gave outstanding performances. Their growing fear and paranoia came through the screen in such a heavy and effective way. While there were some good supporting characters, Abbott and Ireland’s time on screen drove the narrative and elevated the film to a wonderful level of scary.
The cinematography was incredibly well done. There was a muted lighting which gave everything a sense of darkness, even during shots in the middle of the day. Certain angles used gave a sense of claustrophobia, mixed with wide shots giving a feeling of complete isolation. Mixed together these shots made it feel like you were trapped with no way to escape.
The musical score gave a sense of dread throughout. It was used in a way that didn’t “warn” you that a scare was about to happen, but added heavily to the frightening moments. Moments of sadness, fear, and anxiety felt that much more impactful thanks to it.
The practical and visual effects were not over the top, but highly effective when implemented. There were more than a few moments that had me squirming in my chair (a couple that will make you squirm a lot). The blood was very real looking and used in a way that added to the fear, but did not overpower with gore. Again, this was done in a way that just added to the overall feeling of angst.
We’re 24 days in and this one is definitely in my top three, maybe the top. From start to finish, I was filled with a sense of foreboding that I just could not shake. It’s been a long time since I watched something that made me feel this way and it was an absolute joy to experience it. I cannot recommend this one enough. Go watch it!
Thanks for reading and watching along with us! Be sure to keep up with all 31 days of our Halloween Horror Film coverage!
Oh, and make sure to follow Brandon on Twitter @BarnyardCruz and Kevin @Solucid!