The Horror Show
Out of the Dark
by Lluís Quílez
Out of the Dark is an American – Spanish horror production as original as its title. There is not much an over-milked genre can offer to its fans anymore, and unfortunately this supernatural suspenser, set in rural South America, is not an exception.
Even though Out of the Dark is backed by a rich cast with Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman in the lead roles, the story fails to convince on several crucial levels including plotting and execution.
To begin with, there is the usual prologue. A man in distress is trying to leave his secluded villa right after realizing that malicious ancient spirits of tormented children are lurking about. His almost-successful escape culminates in his violent death and then we are immediately transported 20 years later, when a new family moves in.
And so we meet the Harrimans. Sarah (Julia Stiles) has recently accepted her father’s (Stephen Rea) proposal to become the general manager of the town’s factory and thus, her husband Paul (Scott Speedman) and their adorable 6-year-old daughter Hannah (Pixie Davies) come along.
Their arrival coincides with the town’s spooky fiesta – a macabre reminder of its evil past, when Spanish conquerors burned all the children alive. What seems to haunt the family’s bland existence could be the ancient spirits of the burned children, or it could be something completely different but equally sinister.
Cliché ridden scenes with disappointing jump scares and mediocre paranormal phenomena accompany the rather monotonous and unoriginal setting, whereas the story itself has nothing extraordinary to offer.
Most damagingly of all, it’s an overwrought story packed with exhausting tropes and it feels like a rote echo of numerous supernatural thrillers that are most likely to be watched by viewers who stumble in by accident. The well-known cast is the actual magnet here, but the movie’s poor execution fails to make anything shine.
Maria Kriva, HMS
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