[CRITICAL] IN THE DARK

Has the origin of IN THE DARK (Lights Out in English, not to be confused with In the Dark, in the dining room September 16, 2016) there is a modest short film of the same name (to discover here). A small film broke, which, in less than three minutes, with an actress, one piece and without any dialogue, managed to set up a deep sense of anguish. The Swedish director David F. Sandberg using one of the fears children the more frequent ; namely, the fear of the dark. The darkness in his film the place where reveals a creature dangerous. It seems simple, even obvious. And yet so sensible that you wonder why it had not thought of that before.

Thanks to the huge success of his short film, it is no surprise that David F. Sandberg has decided to make a longer version. Of course, switch from one format also short, which works for his character strengthened, to a film of an hour and twenty, there is the risk of having nothing else to propose and turn in the blank. But with James Wan (Saw, Insidious, Conjuringetc.), the master of the genre for the past ten years, the production, and Eric Heisserer (The Thing 2011) to assist in the writing of the screenplay, David F. Sandberg has been surrounded to be able to draw from his work of original material enough and give free rein to its staging. With IN THE DARK, without revolutionizing the genre, it offers a real moment of terror, perfectly mastered.

IN THE BLACK would have been one of these works a little easier that know how to cause fear by a few good effects but without having a background (randomly Annabelle). It is, perhaps, over that IN THE DARK makes the difference. The story of the film begins with Martin, a boy of ten years who lives with his mother, Sophie (Maria Bello), in depression. The night, Sophie discusses in her room with a strange creature by the name of Diana. Worried and feeling a danger, Martin found refuge with his sister, Rebecca (Teresa Palmer), who has experienced the same thing at his age, who had pushed to leave the house.

The key element of this summary is, of course, the question of the mental health of the mother. By accepting the presence of Diana, Sophie participates directly to the endangerment of his children. Better yet, it is up to the opposite of the mother figure and protector. In the absence of a parental figure, healthy (and therefore value-heroic), the movie becomes all the more worrying, therefore, that one identifies with Martin, or to Rebecca who is about to relive the same nightmare. The latter, becoming the single adult true to Martin’s eyes, is no less fragile, because subject to its past from which it has never fully defeat (represented in particular by his fear of commitment). Behind the horror film hid with a family drama concise but less useful.

“Without revolutionizing the genre, In the Black offers a real moment of terror, perfectly mastered. “

Of course, while these scenarios offer an extra quality to the film, IN THE DARK reaches especially to flank the jitters thanks to its realization in keeping with the idea first. Namely the appearance of Diana, which one never sees the need to leave the part in the imaginary, only in the dark. David F. Sandberg knows how to turn up the pressure. For example, in the apartment of Rebecca, illuminated from the outside by a flashing red light, thereby making it appear and disappear on the creature in front of our eyes, while Rebacca wakes up. A dive in the moment you wake up, when nothing is clear yet. Where the awareness of reality is necessarily long, thus becoming all the more disturbing for the viewer, who urges the heroine to react.

But being aware that this same audience will soon see in each scene and scenery of the places where Diana is likely to occur, the director knows how to play with our nerves. Illuminating almost all the pieces to a minimum (a candle, a small lamp, a flashlight, exterior light, passing through a curtain…), and working on the shadows, we remain constantly on the alert. These different sources that can be switched off at any time.

Although all of the cast (Maria Bello and Teresa Palmer in the lead) does not much, but just to be fair and in the tone, IN THE BLACK is so especially really efficient in its production. Never losing the rhythm, David F. Sandberg allows to provide a final sequence memorable, glowing with a blue light (obtained by a uv lamp to see Diana), recalling the legendary stage of the Silence of the lambs.

Following Rebecca in the camera to the shoulder over the different parts (good control of the decor of the house), the feelings of confinement and suffocation to heighten to get the best of the nightmare. Until the end IN THE DARK manages to terrify. And there’s still rooted in the imagination after the fact. Because it is with trepidation, certain that we will go to bed now, hoping that our bedside lamp, it will remain lit throughout the night…

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