Darkness (2002)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Jaume Balagueró

Writers:

Jaume Balagueró (written by) and
Fernando de Felipe (written by) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Some secrets should never come to light

Plot:

A teenage girl moves into a remote countryside house with her family, only to discover that their gloomy new home has a horrifying past that threatens to destroy the family.

Plot Keywords:

House | Darkness | Blood | Children | Teenage Girl

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Anna Paquin	...	Regina
Lena Olin	...	Maria
Iain Glen	...	Mark
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Albert Rua
Fele Martínez	...	Carlos
Stephan Enquist	...	Paul
Fermí Reixach	...	Villalobos (as Fermi Reixach)
Francesc Pagés	...	Driver Traffic Jam
Craig Stevenson	...	Electrician
Paula Fernández	...	Girl 1
Gemma Lozano	...	Girl 2
Xavier Allepuz	...	Boy 3
Joseph Roberts	...	Boy 4
Marc Ferrando	...	Boy 5
Josh Gaeta	...	Boy 6

Also Known As:

Darkness (Spain)
The Dark (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for terror/violence and language. (original version); Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, intense terror sequences, thematic elements and language. (edited version)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:88 min (PG-13 version)

Country:

USA | Spain

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:15A (cut) | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | USA:R (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Castelao Producciones

Trivia:

Director Jaume Balagueró attempted to recruit actress Natalie Portman to play the part of Regina, which eventually went to Anna Paquin.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Twenty-three minutes into the movie, Regina comes down the stairs and sees that her dad has found a secret room under the stairs. Her father comes out holding a picture apparently very interested. Regina asks her father, "What's that?" looking at the space under the stairs. We then see a still frame where just barely, you can see Regina's father still in the space looking at the picture even though he had just stepped out of that area.

Quotes:

Carlos: Where is Regina?
Albert Rua: At her house. In hell.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Lovecraftian horror returns to the screen in this interesting film.

Darkness (2002) (International Version) is an intense horror film about creatures and other unspeakable horrors that dwell within the shadows of a decrepit house. The story is also about a phantasmagorical event that occurred in the same area forty years before. It happened during a solar eclipse, an unusual phenomenon that occurs in the region every forty years. An American family moves into the house full of secrets. This family, like so many others has secrets themselves. What seems like an ordinary unit is fragile within.

Anna Paquin stars as the daughter who has doubts about the longevity of this "happy" household. Lena Olin co-stars as the mother whilst the dude from the first Tomb Raider plays the father. He does a good job as a man who's frail psyche is on the verge of a total meltdown. Ms. Olin is great as the mother in total denial. Paquin takes the movie into her capable hands as the lead actress. I happen to like this movie after watching it a second time. A very layered film with many references and thematic overtones of one of my favorite writers H.P. Lovecraft. The filmmakers do a better job of portraying his work than most who try and do a straight forward presentation.

I haven't seen the edited American release (and I probably don't want to) but the international version is a visual treat for any true fan of horror. I have to recommend this film. The Lovecraft themes and the acting from the cast as well as the superb direction make this one a fun film to watch.

Highly recommended (International version only).