I Saw Black Clouds (2024) – Film Review

I Saw Black Clouds is a British horror film written and directed by Iain Ross McNamee. It’s adapted from the video game of the same name. As is the case with many independently-produced productions, the special effects in the film are quite poor. Fortunately, it has the benefit of a capable cast and decent storyline, so, on the whole, I Saw Black Clouds comes across pretty well.

The film begins on a somber note with a young woman’s suicide, and then switches to funeral, where her friends Kristina (Nicole O’Neill) and Charlotte (Rachel Jackson) are sitting near the back of the church looking distraught. Most of the plot revolves around Kristina who has returned to the village to pay her respects to her dead friend, and, after a series of paranormal encounters decides to stick around and try to discover if there is more to her friend’s death than meets the eye.

The dead girl was called Emily (Carla Cresswell), and, before her death, she’d been trying to resolve some mental health issues. Thanks to ghostly intervention, Kristina finds Emily’s diary. It makes pretty depressing reading and reveals some of the issues Emily was battling.

Although Emily was originally receiving treatment at a clinic, after it closed she had to see one of the councilors privately by visiting her home. Emily also states she was glad to leave the clinic because there was something dark about it, admitting she is pretending to be better than she is, can’t shake the feeling that shadows are following her, and also worries her life is going to end. When she closes her eyes, all she can see is black clouds around her.

The diary entries affect Kristina deeply, causing her to visit Emily’s former councilor, Dominique (Babette Barat), to see if she has any idea why Emily would want to kill herself. Dominique, refuses to help, stating her talks with Emily were confidential, but is keen to hypnotize Kristina to help her better understand her feelings.

This is pretty much a throw-away scene, that does help move the story forward, but, due to more help from the ghost of her dead friend, before she leaves Dominique’s house, Kristina manages to get her hands on an SD card that contains a video of one of Emily’s last therapy sessions, where she tells Dominique a ghost is following her and putting things in her mind. Then she refuses to go further, alleging the ghost is standing behind Dominique, listening to her.

More distressed than ever, Kristina continues her investigation, by talking to the priest who conducted Emily’s funeral. He tells her about a local legend concerning a Swedish girl, called Agnes, who came to the village during the 18th century and worked as a maid on a local estate, where she had an affair with the lord who employed her. After she got pregnant, he kicked her off the estate, and everyone in the village shunned her, causing Agnes to curse the village before drowning herself in the lake. Since then, the area has been prone to suicides among the female population.

Kristina gets further information from the lord’s last living relative and, against his advice continues to investigate further, resulting in even darker paranormal encounters, that place she and Charlotte in danger.

Nicole O’Neill shines in her role of Kristina showing a convincing array of emotions, helping her character seem as real as she is determined. The rest of the cast is very capable too, though, most of them don’t get much screen time. Rachel Jackson being an exception because her character becomes somewhat more prominent towards the end of the film.

It would be impossible for me to write this I Saw Black Clouds review without mentioning Victoria Tew, who briefly appears twice in the film as a singer. The first time, she sings at Emily’s funeral. Later in the film, she reappears as the singer in the bar where Kristina and Charlotte go to enjoy a drink together. Her song, which is also used as the final credits roll, is beautifully sung and has a haunting quality that makes it a perfect choice for the bar scene in question. If I went to bar with music like that, I wouldn’t be quick to leave.

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this review, the special effects in I Saw Black Clouds are not that great. The scenes where Kristina is trying to drag Charlotte from a burning building are particularly notable in this regard. The way the fire appears and behaves does not seem real. I’m guessing the fire was added later using CGI. However, this is an Indie horror film and, overall, it’s very well done; so I am willing to forgive any problems with the CGI.

However, if you are looking for a film that provides edge of the seat excitement, or will have you jumping in your seat, I Saw Black Clouds may not be a good choice. It’s a slow-burn option, and, apart from its cast, the main thing it has going for it is the story, which hooks you in from the start and makes you want to find out what’s going on. I can’t say I love the way the film ends—I was hoping for something more—but the ending certainly works, even if it is somewhat of an anti-climax.

I Saw Black Clouds was released directly to the internet on November 26, 2024. It’s not available to buy on disc. If you want to see it, you will have to stream it online. Depending on your region, sources may include Tubi, Fawesome, and Amazon Prime Video.