Mikes Film Talk

Kevin Durand and Lukas Haas kill it in this 2014 horror film; Dark Was the Night. Their double act is spot on in this eerie and, at times, disturbing movie.

Written by Tyler Hisel and directed by Jack Heller Dark Was the Night is a slow moody piece. It is a film that gives stars Kevin Durand and Lukas Haas star turns. It also boasts a pretty impressive cast of secondary characters. Nick Damici (Stake Land, Cold in July) and Bianca Kajlich (Rules of Engagement, Undateable) to name two very capable actors who round out the cast.  It is set in the dwindling forests of small town America. The film feels a little like a real-life version of  Ferngully: The Last Rainforest but with razor sharp teeth and a voracious appetite.

There are no fairies or small magical creatures. This film’s “Hexxus” is just as natural as the element in the ecological message a’la animated feature Ferngully. (With Christian Slater and Robin Williams.) This “Hexxus” lacks Tim Curry’s voice to make it seem more identifiable. In Dark Was the Night, this entity is big, mostly unseen, and fast. The creature has  thrice-spilt hooves  and razor sharp claws. Later we also learn it has razor sharp teeth.

The Story

Set against around a small rural township, the film begins with the creature being discovered at a logging camp. It claims its first victims and then moves south. The local sheriff 20 miles away first learns of the migrating monster from a local horse breeder. Paul Shields (Durand) and his deputy Donny Saunders (Haas) investigate somewhat half-heartedly  the disappearance of one horse. They believe the breeder left a gate open and his horse escaped. The owner believes the horse was stolen.  Later we learn it was most likely eaten.

Shields’ mind is not on day-to-day policing of his town and its people. A recent tragedy clouds his thoughts. His son drowns while under his care. He and his wife, and other son, are struggling to deal with the loss. With his whole world in tatters, the sheriff is almost sleepwalking through his duties.

Durand, as Shields, looks as though he will burst into painful and heartfelt tears of grief at any moment. The man evokes so much inner torment that one wonders how he is able to operate on any level. Donny, the erstwhile former New Yorker who transferred to the country keeps an eye  on his boss while trying to get over being shot back in the Big Apple.

Canadian actor Durand is usually associated with action roles, although he has been knocking it out of the park with the FX series The Strain  as exterminator Vasiliy Fet.  His performance in this slow atmospheric horror thriller, proves that this actor’s chops are massive enough to leave the action genre behind if he so chooses.

Co-star Haas, who has been working in the industry since 1983, is no stranger to the horror genre and his solid, and oh so real, performance helps to sell this film’s events without question.

It works

Heller films his external day-time scenes with hues of blue saturating every frame.  This makes the film’s setting appear even colder and all the more disturbing as the unfolding events slowly build up to an unsettling climax.  The night time sequences are pitch black, leaving the viewer as disoriented as the main characters must be in the scene.

The pacing of Dark Was the Night is slow, moving at the speed of an arthritic crawl, but the sense of foreboding is overpowering. This helps keep suspense building despite the almost crippling lack of adrenaline.  The slowness does enhance the more intense moments.

When the hunters encounter the creature in the woods or when the police find the remains of the “monster’s” feeding frenzies, it shocks and impresses.  This film is not about jump scares. Nor is it about serial killers with large knives or alien races attempting mass genocide with buckets of gore.

It is a campfire tale, with a touch of  cautionary parable mixed in for good measure.  As Sheriff Shields points out in the film, this creature, disturbed by the loggers, is attempting to find another hiding place. With no place left to run, it feels threatened and is trying to claim a new territory. *Ferngully: The Last Rainforest but without the mysticism.*

The thing is also hungry.

The Verdict

Dark Was the Night  proves that Kevin Durand can carry a film, with a little help from Lukas Haas, but this assistance was not really necessary. Durand convinces with a performance that feels tortured and full of pathos. Heller allows his star to channel his inner grief and it enhances the film beautifully.

Dark Was the Night is streaming on Plex, Tubi and Prime. It is a solid 4 out of 5 star movie.  A whole star is lost because of the creature itself. (When we finally see it, the thing feels more CGI than a real “once thought extinct” boogeyman.)  Regardless of the “letdown” at the end this is great entertainment and worth watching.

The Trailer