Darkness

Plot

A teenage girl moves into a remote countryside house with her family, only to discover that their gloomy new home has a horrifying past that threatens to destroy the family.

Release Year: 2002

Rating: 5.3/10 (11,333 voted)

Critic's Score: 15/100

Director:
Jaume Balagueró

Stars: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen

Storyline
There's something in this house… Something ancient and dark that remains still, hidden and silent. It can only wait, having been concealed in the shadows for years. In fact, its milieu is darkness. Only in it can it show itself and move. It even takes its name: DARKNESS. It's lived here since someone tried to call it, more than forty years ago. Because this house hides a secret, a terrible past, an inconceivably evil act… Seven children, faceless people, a circle that must be completed. And blood, lots of blood…

Writers: Jaume Balagueró, Fernando de Felipe

Cast:

Anna Paquin
–

Regina

Lena Olin
–

Maria

Iain Glen
–

Mark

Giancarlo Giannini
–

Albert Rua

Fele Martínez
–

Carlos

Stephan Enquist
–

Paul

Fermí Reixach
–

Villalobos

(as Fermi Reixach)

Francesc Pagès
–

Driver Traffic Jam

Craig Stevenson
–

Electrician

Paula Fernández
–

Girl 1

Gemma Lozano
–

Girl 2

Xavier Allepuz
–

Boy 1

Joseph Roberts
–

Boy 2

Marc Ferrando
–

Boy 3

Josh Gaeta
–

Boy 4

Taglines:
Some secrets should never come to light

Details

Official Website:
Official site [Hungary] |
Official site [Netherlands] |

Release Date: 25 December 2004

Filming Locations: Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Box Office Details

Budget: $10,600,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: €1,166,320
(Spain)
(13 October 2002)
(275 Screens)

Gross: $34,405,297
(Worldwide)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min
 |
USA: 88 min
(PG-13 version)

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Miramax/Dimension had paid $4 million for the rights to distribute the movie in North America and some other territories, but then shelved it for more than two years. The company gave the film a US theatrical release at Christmas 2004 after heavy editing to secure a PG-13 rating.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized:
Twenty-three minutes into the movie, Regina comes down the stairs and sees that her dad has found a secret room under the stairs. Her father comes out holding a picture apparently very interested. Regina asks her father, "What's that?" looking at the space under the stairs. We then see a still frame where just barely, you can see Regina's father still in the space looking at the picture even though he had just stepped out of that area.

Quotes:

Regina:
Since when are you afraid of the dark?

Paul:
Everything is different here.

User Review

Subtle yet truly frightening

Rating: 8/10


This movie is not your typical American horror flick (which makes sense
since it's a Spanish film). It's a far cry from the gory, cliché-ridden
and painfully explained horror movies that American audiences are used
to.

Darkness disturbed me on different levels. One of them was the family
dynamics (notably the father's mental issues), and the suggested
potential for violence. The other was the supernatural element, which
was used in a subtle and truly frightening manner.

I've seen thousands of horror movies in my lifetime, and this is one of
the best. However, if you are not one for nuances and feel that gore is
a requisite from a horror movie, then stay away from this one.