13 Films That Prove We Were Right to be Scared of the Dark
Dread Central, there’s something you should know about me. For all the tough talk and gruff exterior, I hide a terrible secret. Every night, when I crawl into the mountain of blankets and pillows that I call a bed, I hike the comforter up over and around my head like a Russian babushka. It’s a longstanding habit of mine that stems from a very integral fact: I am scared of the dark.
Even living alone, I lock my bedroom door and spin my computer chair to face me lest Sadako be seated on the other side. I check the corners of my ceilings for Kayako. I’m not sure why so many of my fears are small Japanese girls… we can analyze that later. The point is that bumps in the night and shuffles in the dark terrify me.
And luckily, David Sandberg is here to validate my fears! Thanks, bro! With the upcoming film Lights Out, he’s out to prove that we were right to be scared of the dark. Starring Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, and Maria Bello, Lights Out is based off of the terrifying short film of the same name by director Sandberg. Check out the original short and a trailer for his new film now:
Sandberg isn’t the first to prove that the dark is a nasty, scary place. Check out these 13 films that prove we were right to be scared of the dark.
13) Darkness Falls (2003):
I have a bit of a soft spot for Darkness Falls. It might have been cheesy and silly, but like hell if I didn’t look over the end of my bed for Matilda Dixon for a month. This movie came out when I was just 14, right at the start of my evolution into a horror nut, and left an impression. It was a fun, action-heavy spookfest with as much schlocky charm as a Christmas pageant written by Lloyd Kaufman. As I get older, I still get some guilty fun out of popping it into my DVD player and spending another night under my blanket worried about the specters of my childhood.
12) Vanishing on 7th Street (2010):
Vanishing on 7th Street is a film that manages to be great despite itself. Even with some truly terrible performances by Hayden “Emo Anakin” Christensen and John “I Would Like My Paycheck, Please” Leguizamo, I still find myself regularly recommending it. It taps into a primal fear, with the faceless, ubiquitous dark closing in around you spelling certain death. There are some clear shortcomings, especially when it dips its toes in some philosophy, but the fundamental concept and terrifying premise give it real weight. Also, props to whoever came up with the surgery scene. That shit was genuinely terrifying.
11) From the Dark (2014):
I honestly don’t really get why From the Dark doesn’t get more love. A few logical continuities aside, it’s one of the most interesting modern takes on vampires outside of Afflicted. Without ever actually saying “vampires!,” the gangly and vicious nameless foe depicts a Nosferatu-esque horror in visuals alone. It explains its lore and “rules” without some kind of mystic tome or magical individual explaining the backstory. It has some great use of limited space and conservative camerawork, making you use your imagination and only showing when appropriate. It’s not a perfect film, but one I think far surpasses its aggregate score. If you haven’t seen it, check it out.
10) The Hallow (2015):
“Kyle!” I shouted, with exuberance, “They did it, Kyle! They finally made evil faeries!” Eyes wide, distended cheeks ready to spew forth the contents of his maw, he took a moment to recover and swallow. “Oh God, what? How? Where? When?” His Celtic Studies major’s heart was aflutter. For so long, he had waited for his adopted people’s lore to be treated fairly, and not Disneyfied like so many before. “The Hallow,” I whispered, “and it’s like, real good, dude.” For those of you not part of this conversation, The Hallow is about faeries that are also zombies that are also mold that steal babies and melt in sunlight. Also, there’s a flaming scythe fight scene. Please watch The Hallow.
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