
Directed by Jaume Balagueró
Writing credits Jaume Balagueró Fernando de Felipe
Anna Paquin.... Regina
Lena Olin.... Maria
Iain Glen.... Mark
Giancarlo Giannini.... Albert Rua
The audience shrugs and gives "Darkness" a resounding Ho Hum. PG-13 horror. Is there anything more vile? I had read that this flick was R-rated but when I got to the theater I saw a big PG-13 on the poster. Drat. Dang. Darn it. Fudge. Tricked again.
"Darkness" is a mumbling, bloodless, and pointless ghost story. Family moves into a big scary house and scary things happen. What exactly is going on is lost in a jumble of whispers and incoherent mumbling. Something about children and cults and slitting throats and ahh who cares? Where are the ghosts? Where is the horror? Why should I fear the Darkness? What is it exactly? Who are the people in the old picture? I ask these questions but in truth I don't care. The movie works extra hard not to involve you in its story.
"Darkness" is as generic a ghost story as it gets. There is nothing new or exciting here. Maybe there's a better version of this somewhere hiding in the darkness but the PG-13 version I saw left me cold.
SCORE: 1.5 out of 4 Annas bathing in PG-13 darkness

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