X
- 2018
- Not Rated
- FilmRise
- 1 h 30 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- FilmRise
- 1 h 30 m
Summary Following the death of her father, Alice (Ruth Wilson) returns to her home village for the first time in 15 years, to claim the tenancy to the family farm she believes is rightfully hers.
Directed By: Clio Barnard
Written By: Lila Rawlings, Rose Tremain, Clio Barnard
- 2018
- Not Rated
- FilmRise
- 1 h 30 m
- 2018
- Not Rated
- FilmRise
- 1 h 30 m
Dark River
69
6.6
Where to Watch
Summary Following the death of her father, Alice (Ruth Wilson) returns to her home village for the first time in 15 years, to claim the tenancy to the family farm she believes is rightfully hers.
Directed By: Clio Barnard
Written By: Lila Rawlings, Rose Tremain, Clio Barnard
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
69
68% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
27% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
69
68% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
27% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It’s the superbly acted interplay between the embattled Alice and Joe that drives this lean, gripping, often profoundly tragic tale.
Gorgeously photographed by the Brazilian cinematographer Adriano Goldman, Dark River is a raw ballad of doom and damage.
Dark River isn’t quite as bracing or as unexpected as the director’s previous work.... Still, there’s scarcely room here for improvement at the level of craft or performance; in particular, it’s gratifying to see leading lady Ruth Wilson headlining a big-screen vehicle worthy of her flinty brilliance.
The film is beautifully executed with grace and lavish cinematography.
While Clio Barnard so masterfully limns her protagonist’s tortured soul, the brother-sister drama at the center of the film remains frustratingly hazy.
It’s still evidently the work of a very talented filmmaker and is certainly never bad, but it also never lives up to its potential. Barnard has a long career ahead of her, but Dark River seems destined to be remembered, years now, as a minor work in her filmography.
Everything in Dark River feels like it’s designed not with real people in mind but with Serious Independent Cinema in mind. It’s a movie so filled with pregnant pauses and pretentious looks that it never develops an emotional undercurrent at all.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 User Ratings
6.6
56% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
19% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 User Ratings
6.6
56% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
19% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
Toronto International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Nomination
Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
• 1 Nomination
