Talented
Spanish filmmaker Jaume
Balaguero's film DARKNESS is a
terrifying tale in which an
ordinary American family
...
Full Descriptionmoves
to a large, creaky Victorian
home in the Spanish countryside
that, unbeknownst to them, was
the scene of some awful
experiments on the night of a
total eclipse 40 years before.
Teenage daughter Regina (Anna
Paquin) decides to investigate
after unexplained bruises show
up on her younger brother (Stephen
Enquist), and her father (Iain
Glen) displays oddly enraged and
erratic behavior. Although her
mother (Lena Olin) and her
grandfather (Giancarlo Giannini)
refuse to believe her, Regina is
convinced that something within
their new home is the cause of
the trouble. As another eclipse
looms, Regina enlists the help
of her new boyfriend (Fele
Martinez) and uncovers truths
that could literally destroy her
family. Balaguero mixes tried
and true cinematic scare devices
with his own brand of macabre
originality to bring a
well-paced, ominous atmosphere
to the supernatural ghost story
genre. He drains the film of
colorful hues and bright light,
and effectively uses sound to
paralyze and terrorize his
viewers. Having thoroughly
scared the daylights out of
European audiences, DARKNESS is
sure to do the same stateside. |