As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
I have an older brother, who's kind of the opposite of me. Very outdoorsy and into hunting and being a man's man. From the time we were kids, we never really got along all that well. However, in times of trouble, somehow I knew he'd still have my back. Over the years, we've lost contact and I'm not sure if that connection will ever be re-established. Why do I bring that up, during a review of a horror film? Because this film touched on that very same issue with the two main characters. Granted, family is always going to have its strained relationships. It's part of the structure that makes up the family unit. Typically in horror films, we see the family as non-existent or as a dysfunctional unit that either supports or creates the monster we see on screen. In 'Devil in the Dark', the monster isn't part of the family, so much as it's what's been affecting the family from a distance. Not in a direct way, but as a deep seated fear from childhood. One that isn't talked about or even fully remembered. Not unlike a trauma that goes unnoticed by others, until it rears its ugly head at some point. Perhaps that's what the writer, Carey Dickson, was using the monster as a metaphor for? The strain between family members due to something ugly that happened in the past or the friction from dissimilar siblings? Either way, it created an interesting backdrop for a film that is hard to classify.
'Devil in the Dark' tells the story of Adam and Clint. Two brothers who haven't seen each other in 15 years. Adam comes back into town to reconnect with Clint and his family and it's clear from the beginning that there is distance that has grown between them. Clint is still living in the family home, that they grew up in. One that's located in their hometown. A small, rural community that hasn't changed much in the passing of time. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that the boys father was not unlike Clint, himself. A hunter and a man's man. Also, married with two kids, who is trying to make his two sons get along, as best he can. When Adam arrives, the plan is to take a 6 day hunting trip into the mountains, to try and have some quality time with Clint in order to repair the relationship that has been lost over the years. Once in the mountains, it's clear that there is something else in the woods with them. Something that Adam has encountered before. Before long, things begin to escalate, as the hunters soon are becoming the hunted.
Directed by Tim Brown, 'Devil in the Dark' is an unusual film. Not in the overall themes or the story line, but in the way that it's constructed, in order to tell the tale. I had a hard time pinpointing what it was about this movie that made it feel so disjointed. Not that it was a bad film, quite the opposite. Rather that it felt like all of the moving parts weren't moving together. Our two main characters, Adam (played by Robin Dunne) and Clint (played by Dan Payne), are believable in their relationship as brothers. Very clearly being cut from different cloth, but family all the same. They played out, what was essentially, a very simple story of two men being hunted in the forest. Not a new story, to the jaded horror film buff. What made this something else was the pacing and the music. It had a very slow burn from the beginning. Using actual songs to lay the background for events that were yet to unfold. At times, almost feeling like a heartfelt drama, with the style of music that was chosen. Then, interwoven within the fabric, was this very dark, orchestral score that felt ominous and larger than life. Full of deep tones and large swells of darkness. It created an emotional response to things that hadn't even happened yet and set the stage for what was to come. This was also a very beautifully shot film. Using wide overhead shots to give you a clear understanding of the expanse that was the mountainside they were hunting on. I'm not sure what kind of budget this movie had, but they used it wisely, to create a grander scale to the story, which ultimately was about two brothers just trying to survive.
As the last few minutes of the film came to a close, I found myself feeling a bit incomplete. As of there were many unanswered questions and like I'd just been dropped off the edge of a cliff. Despite this, it was still an interesting journey to take. Using the horror genre as a way to tell a deeper story. One about how blood is thicker than water. How, regardless of the overwhelming fear that Clint may have had, he was not going to leave his brother behind. One of the scenes during the third act, summed this up rather beautifully. When Clint was finally able to get a minimal cell phone signal, he called home to his wife to tell her he couldn't leave Adam behind. She could only make out pieces of what he was saying, but you could see it on Clint's face, how much it was tearing him apart inside. The thought of possibly losing his entire family, not just his brother, but his wife and kids too. All in all, this film fell a bit short of what I think it was aiming for. The creature felt almost tacked on and unfinished, as we never really saw a true motivation or explanation for its actions. We are also left with a monumental cliff hanger that almost felt like a jump scare. 'Devil in the Dark' still deserves a 3 out of 5 star rating. As it did what it set out to do and had a lot of impressive qualities that shouldn't be ignored. I'm curious to see what Tim Brown has planned for his next project or what other stories Carey Dickson has to tell. They both have a lot of promise, that just didn't quite seem to come to fruition in this film. Even with all of that being said, it did leave me questioning my decisions made with my brother, in the past. Perhaps that was the goal all along.
on VOD March 7th!
If you like this film, check out: 'Blair Witch' (2016), 'Evil Dead' (1981) and 'Evil Dead' (2013)
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