From the Dark (2014)
Starring Niamh Algar and Stephen Cromwell
Directed by Conor McMahon
In From the Dark Irish director Conor McMahon sacrifices the goofy humor seen in his previous effort Stitches in favor of no-nonsense horror that combines a fear of the dark with vampire mythology.
From the Dark is exceedingly simple in terms of its story: While on holiday, a young couple named Mark (Cromwell) and Sarah (Algar) become stranded on a muddy back road in rural Ireland. Brandishing a flashlight, Mark takes off on foot to discover an old house in which lies an elderly man in a state of delirium and shock from a wound to the neck. After returning to the car to get Sarah for assistance, they discover that the old man has fallen victim to a sinister creature with a strong distaste for the light.
With a simple twist on the vampire mythology, McMahon starts things off strong and creepy, keeping the creature out of focus or moving ever so slightly out of frame with the arrival of a light source. Throughout much of the film he keeps this trend going, even when the creature has traded in the shadows of the woods of Ireland for the confines of a dimly lit house; out of focus background shots, quick moments of action, and dimly moonlight-lit rooms keep the creature’s true appearance from being fully revealed. Granted, glimpses are seen, at least enough to show its form.
Bipedal and tall, the creature is an unholy union of Nosferatu and the subterranean humanoids from The Descent with a bit of vampire goodness from I Am Legend tossed into the mix. The result is mostly uninspired, but the real magic in the film is when McMahon keeps it relegated to the shadows.
Ironically, it’s From the Dark’s simplicity and straightforward approach that hinders it the most. After darkness falls, it becomes a mostly one-note film with Sarah’s quest for light taking a repetitive turn that’s fairly unsatisfying given the interesting setup. Once all hell breaks loose, the suspense slowly fades in favor of a more action-oriented approach, but darkness with only the moonlight and a cell phone to (mostly) lead the way renders it unexciting. There are only so many ways you can keep the same process of “hide, find light, fight back, hide” engaging enough before you’re itching for something new.
But what McMahon gets right he does in a way that helps to offset its many issues. In addition to remaining relatively tight and genuinely suspenseful at times, the two leads are exceptionally believable as an ordinary, run-of-the-mill couple seeking to get away from it all for a few days before being thrust into an extraordinary situation. They bicker and trade barbs, but underneath it all there is a very real and natural sense of love and respect for each other. As a result, you genuinely care about their plight, especially when Mark becomes incapacitated and Sarah must do everything she can to save them from the darkness.
From the Dark is a mostly fun and a little scary, yet inoffensive film that, although satisfying for what it is, could have benefited greatly from a little bit of risk-taking. It takes the safe route. It’s not bad, it’s not great, it’s just a well-made little thriller.
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Film
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