User Reviews

Crack out the popcorn, set up the munches, have some drinks at the ready as once you engage this film fully you'll be engrossed, with such a wonderful slow burn that builds and builds to the point of no turning back, much like a good book if you hit that page you wish you could turn it back a page and stop there. So sit back and enjoy.

Roger Ebert once said, "It's not what a film is about, but how it is about it." I had to take that into consideration when rating and reviewing 'The Dark and the Wicked'. This is admittedly not my type of horror movie. I struggle with supernatural horror, because I have zero belief in it and thus it does nothing to unsettle me. However, I have to admit that this film was done very well, and that if I were unsettled by those types of films then this one would have done the trick for me. This film is going up some people's alleys big time.

This is such a beautifully shot film. Director Bryan Bertino is so good at framing what is on screen, he doesn't even need what's on screen to be all that impressive for it to look good. I also love the inventive camera angles he comes up with. They don't always work to heighten the scares or even the tension, but they add a touch of class to the mix which is so often missing in the horror genre.

My biggest gripe with the film would be all the jump-scares and the scenes where the demon is basically just trying to scare the characters rather than harm them. I understand why they have to be there to pad the runtime to 90 minutes, but they are still very frustrating to watch. I also didn't really connect with either of the two lead characters. They were very flat (understandable in their situation to be fair) and that made it difficult for me to care all that much about their fate. The final 20-30 minutes of this film is an absolute blast though I'd have to say. The pacing rockets to life and there are some fun and pretty messed up scenes. 'The Dark and the Wicked' is worth a watch.

This one is a hard horror movie to watch and yet it is brim packed with everything that scares you; from the shadows on the wall to the dark figure in the corner of the room, to the gross out scene with the flock of goats and the slick symbolism with the devil and the goats on the farm. The director uses many horror techniques so well it is hard to fault even though the film is very slow and to be fair to the other reviewers it is somewhat boring and will not appeal to many people; even die hard horror fans will find this one hard going!

The film gives the viewer no easy ride with no explanations, no backstory, not much characterization and no simple ending but builds such a lugubrious atmosphere of dripping dread in the style of movies like Hereditary that you cannot but be chilled to the bone with its minimal but effective style.

I want to give it 4/10 but I have to give it credit for being "real horror" and not "Hollywood horror" so it gets an always fair and honest review from me with a solid above average 6 hatchets on the horror scale for this very different approach to horror movie making!

Well worth the watch, in the dark, with the sound cranked. Oscar nod for sound editing - my ****!!! Dont believe any hate...

LONG time since a movie invoked unbridled, white knuckle terror.

Solid 7.5/10 from this guy. Whew

Enjoyable horror that sets the tension from the start and then slowly builds on it. Well shot and solid acting. Nice subtle scares carry you along till the end. I don't understand why so many bad reviews, as I've said it's an enjoyable indie-horror.

The problem with the Horror Genre (as is the case with some other genres), is that it is pretty broad in terms of scope and definition; and that within the definitions which fit, there are too many variables. For example, can a truly well-made "horror" movie include comedic elements? Should it? How much gore should be employed? Do suspense or thrills or adventure add or take away from the genre? There is no clear-cut response to any of this, and so what appeals to one horror-fan, may not be as appealing to another.

FOR ME, what defines a horror flick - gory or not - is that it should make the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear. The Dark and The Wicked did that and more. I am in no way exaggerating when I say that 1. I FELT scared to the point of wondering if I was entertaining 'energies' I should not entertain by watching it; 2. I wondered if I should turn it off; and 3. I said a couple of prayers and rebuked the devil at one point near the ending. Even now, I just got goosebumps.

Now - will everyone find it as "scary"? By the reviews. It's obvious some people did not. Who knows. Maybe there was some subconscious or phycological trigger it touched on in my mind which just "worked". Regardless, in my opinion, it deserves a higher score than its current 6.1 IMDB rating.

The GOOD: The acting by the two leads who play brother and sister, is nothing short of FANTASTIC. The storyline too, is pretty great in that it is different enough to not immediately remind me of anything else like it. The cinematography deserves praise, and for the most part, the dialogue is in the category of good. As for the (jump) "scares", we've seen them before. I don't blame them for this, as what really in cinema today has not been DONE before? The pace however, is also good and it allows for the tension to build up between these 'scares' (for lack of a better word). In as far as realism (a big part of cinema for me), this film earns MOSTLY top marks. While there are instances where you second-guess the actions people take or do not take AND there is a major plot device to do with a country doctor, which fails (I will not give too much away in order to avoid a spoiler), it's all in the realm of believable and it makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation.

The BAD: Lamentably, the acting by a minor character is very plastic and felt forced and out of place.

The ending could have, and SHOULD have been done SO much better than it was. Gauging by the content of the film, it was apparent that the filmmakers had it in them, so the fact that no one seems to have pushed for a better conclusion is sloppy, disappointing and would be completely unforgivable if the rest of the film had not had the compelling moments it did.

A dreadful, disquieting & diabolical nightmare that reeks of death & foreboding from the first frame to the last, The Dark and the Wicked is one of those horror entries that relies on its silently brooding & gradually escalating atmosphere to crawl under the skin of its viewers, and is a haunting, unnerving & bone-chilling terror that more than lives up to its name.

Written & directed by Bryan Bertino (The Monster), the story begins on a highly promising note and the setup, location & stylistic choices only help magnify the bleak mood & sinister aura. There is a lurking & looming presence of an evil that lingers over the family and although Bertino touches on the themes of love, loss, grief & guilt, he doesn't dig deeper to aptly explore those topics.

While it would've helped to have the story journey inward into its characters and the characters themselves to be more fleshed out & exhibit more depth, the film still makes do with the given script, and conjures some genuinely effective scares with its eerie camerawork & ominous score. It doesn't quite stick the landing but the uneasy feeling is sustained throughout and the performances are convincing.

Overall, The Dark and the Wicked is one of the creepiest films to surface in recent years and is absolutely unforgiving & unrelenting in its intensity & uncomfortable aura it exudes. The uncanny cinematography & unsettling sound design are major contributors to its effectiveness but with a more refined script, this could've gone places. A cursed chiller with inescapable devilry brewing under the surface, Bryan Bertino's latest delivers on its title.

The Devil went down to Texas and you should be somewhere else.

I do very much love that horror movie trope of listing the days on screen. The Shining did that, and I think these filmmakers thought they were in the same ballpark as that masterpiece. NOPE, but this was still enjoyable.

When the farmer father goes into a coma, his adult children come home to help their mother despite her request for them not to come. The kids thought this was foolish as they wanted to help/see their father if he's on his way out, but it was more of a warning not to come. They should've listened.

Here's yet another low-budget SLOOOOW burn. Not sure if filmmakers try and get around having low funds by making their movies intentionally paced, but this happens a lot. They could be justifying it by wanting to build tension...and yet, you don't see many big budgeted movies that move at a snail's pace.

Don't get me wrong, I very much liked this. Some of the jump scares: SUPER effective and some, WILDLY predictable and clichéd. I'd give them about 50/50. The 50% good was actually great and I either had to look away or I was genuinely shocked, especially/including that awesome ending with the son. And the other 50% I was so sad they just copied/pasted from better films.

The performances were great, the film looked very fine and I loved the locations. Though, honestly, it didn't feel like Texas. Turns out, it was very much filmed there, but I would've bet big this was some foreign land.

It's a Supernatural/Religious descent into madness film. Again, it's slow, but it's not that big of a problem and I would very much recommend it...if this is your bag.

***

Final Thoughts: I seriously didn't know where this was going to end up. Okay, yes, I had ideas because of the direction, but not the brother's storyline. Couldn't have ended better. The other ending/ending...eh. (You'll see/no spoilers.)

The first 2 minutes got me so excited with it's dark atmosphere, crisp cinematography and great sound. As I watched, I got intrigued about where will it all lead..... Unfortunately, by 1 hour mark it was still going nowhere.

Yes the atmosphere is fantastic, the decorations are immersive but there is just no damn story which is such a shame. It could have been a gorgeous indie horror as it had decent creepiness that did get my heart beat up once or twice. Sadly, it felt like a cliche devil, priest blah blah blah...

Wasted potential

The horror genre doesn't frighten me anymore, because I've already tried all kinds of films in the genre, but sometimes I'm taken by surprise. The Dark and the Wicked scared me, gave me goosebumps and gave me some good scares! He didn't promise anything, but he delivered everything and then some, hahah!

Although her driving is slower, she is always progressive! The terror, the bizarre and the dense atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger, where we are taken by surprise with each scene. In addition, the sound is extremely present, with sounds of voices, wind or bells, letting fear circulate throughout the film.

However, the movie is not 100% amazing! The text is weak, does not deepen the characters, making their attitudes and motivations too shallow. There is no well-established relationship! It is shown with looks and conversations, very subtly, how close the family is, but that alone is not enough.

Despite the problem, nothing detracts from what good this movie did! An excellent horror! It's been a while since I was scared or felt my heart beat fast, I don't know how I went to watch it just today, but this movie has already entered the list of the best horror, for sure!

There were some really awesome aspects to this film. You look up atmospheric in the dictionary and this film is the first thing you see. It wastes no time creating a spooky, tense air that proceeds throughout the entirety of the film. The jump scares got just a tad irksome from someone who hates them but only because I wanted to watch intently without them. However, I didn't totally mind them because the movie did not rely on them to be scary or anxiety inducing, it managed that it many other ways. The acting was also pretty stellar from everyone involved which made the whole thing that much more relatable, amping up the scary nature of the film.

I wished there was a bit more to the storyline when all was said and done. I was entertained and engaged throughout, but I don't feel like all THAT much happened. I also wasn't super crazy about the ending, felt lack luster and a bit of a cop out. Despite these two things I really enjoyed this movie and it was without a doubt creepy. Ending almost knocked it down but I give this a 6.5 rounding up to a 7. Would recommend.

IG - howlingatthemoonreviews.

This one is not for those who don't like slow paced movies but this is truly a horrifying movie. I loved the slow pace and how it helps in building this fear in the viewers heart of the unknown evil lurking in the dark of ones mind. Truly a Classic American horror. Loved it.

To begin with, the visual style and background score are amazing. I love how it started; slow but slowly burning into your skins like Hereditary did. But once you reach somewhere at two-third of the movie, you realize you already know how it is going to end and you hate it. So I am, particularly, not a fan of how it ended, like on a cliffhanger and not explaining things.

Been a while since I've seen a new flick with all those covid situations. But hey, slowly they do appear here and there let this be one of those new ones.

Why I picked this one was the fact I was told it was gory. Can't agree on that part but what it did do was the fact that it was creepy as hell.

The score, the darkness, slowly gets you by the throat. And it's a slow mover that is in fact a horror but not for everyone. Can't say a thing about the story except the devil, I think, was involved.

When things go wrong it is bloody and maybe somethings are a bit gory for those not used to see a flick from the horror genre.

One to watch alone, in the dark, and just wait until the wicked comes in.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

Cool poster , the first turn off possessive horror had me intrigued..sadly the film loses anyway of plot. Shame as i think there was certain symbolisms and eeriness to make something it just didn't come through.

Acting: actually very, very good. Cinematography: again, A+. Special effects: that all depends on your taste of blood and gore. Personally, I thought it had some gruesome parts, but not over the top. Here's why I only rated it an 8 out of 10: scare factor. In the beginning of the movie, the mystery of the entity is definitely malevolent and seems to enjoy taking its time before a kill. Cool concept. But as the movie moves along, the scares become more predictable and the main characters, as seemingly level headed as they are, don't act rationally, in my opinion, and then the movie becomes a house of cards at the end and collapses without a proper ending. I'm trying not to give too much away because I don't want you to think it's a bad movie. Just could have been better, and that was disappointing. I would, however, recommend it as there are not many options for good movies period right now. Compared to some of the other junk I've had to endure lately, this is like the Hope Diamond.

If you see this film, don't go into it expecting one of the regurgitated rehashed horror movie tropes that Hollywood has been throwing at people for too many years. I had very little idea what to expect going into the film, and for that, I'm grateful. Here there are no Hollywood models, no superhero-ninjas, no cookie-cutter movie morons who go down into the basement without turning the lights on. The home and property looks like actual people would live there, versus the usual 2 million dollar ranch that looks like a costly interior decorator and 3 maids work there. The characters who behave and speak like actual people and not Hollywood manikins. There are many little low-budget tricks and effects throughout the film that cost almost nothing and unlike what prevails in most newer "scary" movies, they are so well done that they actually work. Yes it's slow, but that's fine, because it keeps the tension and delicious sense of the unexpected going. This film is bleak, dark, loaded with atmosphere, and very creepy - the type of creepy we used to get in films like "Rosemary's Baby".

I don't normally review many movies, but this one was worth it. Its a great movie if you need to stay up late, especially if you live alone in the country like me. Loved it.

At a family farm in Texas, estranged siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) return when their father's (Michael Zagst) illness that keeps him bedridden takes a turn for the worse. Their father has been cared for by their mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) and a home care nurse (Lynn Andrews). When their mother inexplicably commits suicide within a day after returning home, Louise and Michael are left to care for their ailing father only to find some creeping evil may have been responsible for both their father's illness and mother's suicide.

The Dark and the Wicked is the latest film from The Strangers and The Monster writer/director Bryan Bertino. Similar to Bertino's other works, the movie is a slow burning character piece using familiar horror setups and iconography in a very personal film for Bertino. Written at and staged at Bryan Bertino's family farm residence, the movie deals with the very real fear of losing one's parents as we grow older ourselves and find ourselves isolated and distant with a fear of the inevitable. It's certainly a strong and very human fear, but does it make for a strong film?

The movie is great at establishing a sense of loneliness and isolation as once we arrive at this farm, we seldom, if ever, see outside of it. Pretty much the entire movie is et over the course of a week on this farm with only various characters dropping by for one reason or another. Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. Are good in their roles as estranged adult siblings Louise and Michael, as is Julie Oliver-Touchstone as their mother who's stricken with grief. These three performances are what the movie is built upon and because of the movie's lack of dialogue relative to other films of this ilk, the character comes through much more from what's unsaid rather than what is. The farm is a nicely realized set piece feeling like a rustic place out of time with the feeling that while the rest of the world moved on this place never followed with it. The rustic isolation helps to sell the film's atmosphere of creeping dread and slow rot and makes the film feel tangible in an unsettling way.

The movie is a slow burn and it does take a while to get going, especially with the first act. The movie also feels like it plays a little bit fast and loose with its logic particularly in the end where it seems like there's a divergence between the themes the film addresses and how they're executed. The movie also at certain points evokes comparison to Bryan Bertino's The Strangers albeit with a supernatural bent. It's not that there aren't effective scenes or moments that stand on their own, but I did find myself comparing moments between films and feeling the first incarnation had more impact.

The Dark and the Wicked is stylish and well-acted, but it's also very slow with not much of a payoff. I did enjoy the performances from the leads and the atmosphere that was created, but as the movie went on I found myself less engaged with not all that much resonating with me beyond the initial setup. I think The Lodge did a lot of the same things The Dark and The Wicked did but with more fine tuning and thematic resonance. I think the film is still worth a look for its performances and craft, but it uses a strong introduction for not much payoff.