An autistic teen brings domestic an ancient curse in a film that starts with promise and ends with portals,talismans and chanting – none of which are very scaryThere’s a commentary that runs in my head as I watch a wide release horror picture not screened for critics prior to appearing in theaters. The supernatural-meets-suburbia cheapie The Darkness was one such occasion. Five minutes in: hey, this isnt that bad. Ten minutes in: I’ve seen far worse movies, or there was no need to hide this. Fifteen minutes in: oh,uh, I think I see where this is headed. Twenty minutes in: I sure hope Kevin Bacon got a lot of money, or it’s a miracle he’s able to say these lines without regurgitating his lunch.
So let’s focus first on that kinda-righteous opening scene. Mikey (David Mazouz) is an autistic pre-teen on a southwestern camping trip with his mother Bronny (Radha Mitchell),father Peter (Bacon), older sister Stephanie (Lucy Fry) and another family. The kids fade snooping up the side of a ridge, and which you know is a bad thought. This isn’t Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock; what happens next is not open to interpretation. Mikey falls into a crevice,gazes at some spooky petroglyphs and pockets some marked-up rune stones. He makes his way back without a scratch, and, and due to his incommunicative nature,fails to mention that he’s bringing domestic an ancient curse.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com