Darkness

Name: Darkness
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: December 25, 2004
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 15
Cast: Anna Paquin, Iain Glen, Lena Olin

2004

METASCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 16 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 270 Ratings

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9.0

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9.0	User Score Universal acclaim based on 270 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Unrated

Dimension Films | Release Date: December 25, 2004

Starring: Anna Paquin, Iain Glen, Lena Olin

Summary: When a family moves into a seemingly quaint country house they discover that their new home has a horrifying past that may threaten them.

Director: Jaume Balagueró

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 102 min

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Critic Reviews

Christian Science Monitor - David Sterritt

The thriller makes up in moody weirdness what it lacks in horror-tale originality. Read full review

Variety - Jonathan Holland

Though pic boasts decent perfs, potent atmospherics and eye-catching visuals, both psychology and plot are bargain-basement. Read full review

Premiere - Kevin Allison

Apparently, none of the characters in Darkness have seen "The Shining." Read full review

L.A. Weekly - Chuck Wilson

Full of shuttery jump cuts set to music cues so loud your heart can't help but convulse, Darkness should have been left to molder in Miramax's vast vault of horror-movie stiffs. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Frank Scheck

The sketchy characterizations, laughable dialogue and less-than-stellar performances by the formidable cast, all of whom have done far better work in the past, provide further reasons why Darkness should never have seen the light of day. Read full review

The A.V. Club - Nathan Rabin

It's not even bad enough to be any fun. Read full review

San Francisco Chronicle - Peter Hartlaub

Unoriginal, frequently incomprehensible and cheaply made. Read full review

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User Reviews

Astrologer82

Dec 31, 2015

Darkness is an intense thriller with wonderful cinematography and a fine cast. The movie has eerie chills and if you like movies that have a dark atmosphere and unpredictable jolts, you will love Darkness.

12 of 12 users found this helpful120

FranciscoM.

Jun 27, 2009

Oh, come on, its not THAT bad. Its not good, but looking to other horror movies its acceptable. But Balagueró showed a lot more potential in [REC], no that was awesome!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

FilipeNeto

Jun 29, 2018

This is another excuse for a movie with haunted houses, a theme more than recurring in horror. So common that the emptiness of new ideas creates movies like this. The whole story is set in my neighboring country, Spain (effective, the film is Spanish such as his director/writer, JaumeThis is another excuse for a movie with haunted houses, a theme more than recurring in horror. So common that the emptiness of new ideas creates movies like this. The whole story is set in my neighboring country, Spain (effective, the film is Spanish such as his director/writer, Jaume Balagueró) and revolves around an American family who went to live there. Unfortunately, the family story and the relationships between the characters are never interested in the plot, which focuses only on the house. But even this brings no novelty, merely reconstructing the usual formulas of horror that every horror lover has seen countless times and countless ways. Thus, the film becomes predictable and uninteresting. I even guessed how it would end. Even so, it manages to create a sufficiently tense environment to provoke some scares. I simply hoped for something more. Lena Olin and Giancarlo Giannini were the actors that I liked the most, as their performance was regular, lacking behind them better material and a more competent director. The rest cast did not call my attention for the positive.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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