Darkness
(Region 3 Korean Special Edition DVD)
(2002)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Dimension Films should be ashamed of themselves! For a film that had been released overseas for 2 years, Darkness finally got its well deserved showing in American cinemas long after the supernatural genre boom had already hit. In addition to a ridiculous shelving of the film by the hapless distributors, Darkness also received a hefty amount of editing to gain an "audience friendly" PG-13 rating here in the states. Being the stubborn critic that I am, I spent the coin to pick up the Korean Special Edition disc to see Darkness as director Jaume Balaguero intended it to be viewed, rather than waste my time on a hack PG-13 version that the MPAA could feel comfortable with.

Regina (Paquin) and her family have recently relocated to Spain, where her father's mental ailments can be closely monitored by the family physician (who also happens to be Regina's Grandfather). Reluctant to assimilate into her new environment, Regina is adamant about moving back to the states to finish school and be with her friends. Her heartless cunto of a mother (played by Lena Olin) could care less about her daughter's needs and is primarily focused on getting their new house in order. Regina's younger brother, Paul, has been acting quite strangely since moving into the new house and nobody but Regina seems to notice this change. In addition to developing a new fear of the dark, Paul is also showing signs of severe bruising around his neck area, which the parents brush off as self inflicted to gain attention.

However, Regina's father soon starts to regress into the psychotic episodes that cause him to go into an intense fit of rage, and Regina believes that he is the cause of these mystery bruises on Paul. Convinced that the house is having an extreme negative effect on her family, Regina and her boyfriend do a bit of research on the facility in fear that it holds some dark secret. Ignoring her pleas to leave the house for good, Regina's family attempts to go on with their lives, even though her father's condition is worsening and Paul is showing extreme signs of physical deterioration. With no other options available, Regina seeks information from the only source tied to the house's past - the building's architect. Meeting with the architect, who has been regularly monitoring the activities of the house, Regina finds out that the structure was built in a fashion to facilitate an odd occult ritual. She is also endowed with the information that exactly 40 years ago 6 children went missing in the house and one child escaped. That one child is her father, and she now fears that he intends to kill Paul to complete the ritual.

A very well crafted, mood stricken film, Darkness could have easily usurped The Grudge as supernatural horror of the year if it had received the proper release and promotion it deserved. Jaume Balaguero crafts a very disturbing story and masterfully shoots a film that will keep the viewer involved with the plot and on the edge of their seat. Utilizing a great deal of paranormal and paranoia tactics, the setting for Darkness is possibly the most gripping I've seen from an English speaking horror in quite some time. The addition of a DTS track on the R3 disc also adds greatly to the mood, as the sounds eminating from my tv almost placed me in the house during the terrifying events that unfolded.

Possibly the greatest asset to Balaguero's film is the cast who put on a stellar performance from start to finish. Anna Paquin comes off as the annoying disgruntled teen from the get go, but quickly develops into a blockbuster role as she becomes quite ballsy, yet very human at the same time. By the film's end, I wanted Lena Olin's character to die a slow horrible death, as her character is one of the most dispicable parental figures ever put on celluloid. However, easily the best performance in the film goes to Iain Glen, the psychotic father who struck more fear into me than the actual ghost figures used in the film. Displaying the true emotion and delirium associated with a complete mental breakdown, Mr. Glen gained my applause for the most convincing lunatic since Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

In addition to a stellar film, the Korean Special Edition Disc offers a wealth of extras including Cast & Crew information, Interviews with Balaguero and cast, a Making Of featurette, still gallery from the film and trailer. Sadly, if you can't read Korean, the cast and crew info, as well as the making of featurette are both wasted efforts.

In retrospect, I'm glad that I didn't blow $18 on going to see the PG-13 release of the film in US theaters, rather invest the $27 in the Korean SE disc. Although I can't pinpoint the exact footage removed by Dimension for a domestic release, I'll put my money on the barrage of "f-bombs" that Iain Glen drops during his psychotic episodes as the culprit clips. Take it from me, if you have the chance, grab the R version of Darkness because these little quips are essential to appreciate the performance Mr. Glen puts forth as the film's shining character. Darkness is yet another fantastic film that has a lacluster appeal once it gets the all important "Hollywood Makeover". Spend the extra $$ and get the version Balaguero intended viewers to see