The Dark (2005) – Movie Summary and Review
The Dark is a British horror movie about a couple trying to repair a broken relationship while also grieving over the death of their young daughter.
Maria Bello stars as Adelle, who takes her teenage daughter, Sarah (Sophie Stuckey), to visit her father in Wales. The movie begins by showing them during the journey and two things are obvious right from the start—they are hopelessly lost and their relationship is strained.
When night draws in bringing a storm with it, Adelle and Sarah are forced to sleep in their car, parked near a steep cliff with a deadly drop to the sea below. Close to the edge of the cliff, there is a strange memorial with the name Annwyn marked on it. Later in the film we learn from local odd-job-man Dafydd that, according to Welsh legend, Annwyn is the place people go after death. The legend also states that the dead can return from Annwyn if one of the living exchanges places with them.
Sarah’s father, James (Sean Bean), lives in a remote house. Before his family’s arrival, his only company seems to have been Daffydd, who appears to be kept very busy around the place.
The real story doesn’t start until Sarah is swept out to sea and drowned. Not long after this Ebrill (Abigail Stone) appears. A distraught Adelle sees the young girl outside the window and, thinking it is Sarah, chases her into the abattoir (every house should have one). When Adelle calls out her daughter’s name, Ebrill asks, “Is that who you are looking for? You won’t find her here. This is where the sheep come to die.”
Not long after this interesting snippet of conversation Ebrill vanishes, things start to get a little more mysterious, and Adelle has to find a way of getting her daughter back; even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.
The Dark might best be described as a supernatural thriller. The movie does not have a large cast, but it is an effective one and plenty of sheep come flocking in, as extras, under the careful supervision of Elvis the sheepdog.
The movie has some chilling moments, and there are some gruesome moments as well, but nothing too over-the-top. Probably the goriest part of the story is where a mad shepherd bores a hole in someone’s skull with a twist drill. There are no close-up shots of this, just a little blood and pieces of bone falling onto the floor. It’s not nice but it does have its place in the story.
I watched The Dark on DVD and had the option of watching an alternative ending. I preferred it but neither ending worked for me because they failed to provide a feeling of closure. Having said that, I still enjoyed the movie. Give it a chance and you may enjoy it too.