“An
intriguing but dull monster hunt.”
Two guilt-ridden cops are up against a supernatural monster
from Native American myths in Jack Heller’s Dark was the Night. In this slow-burning character-driven horror
film, the fictional town of Maiden Woods are facing a fast-moving and angry
presence, and their salvation lies in the hands of the troubled sheriff and his
deputy.
In the movie’s prologue, a logging foreman who is looking
for his two lost men meets the same violent fate in the woods. Displaced from
its home, the unidentified predator moves 90 miles south, to the wintry and
sleepy town of Maiden Woods.
Mysteriously, a horse has gone missing from a farmer’s ranch during the night. Another night passes and in the next morning, large hoof prints are encircling all the houses in the town but vanish into thin air in the woods. Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand), a self-doubting man who is still mourning for the accidental death of his son, investigates the incident. On the verge of divorce from his wife (Bianca Kajlich), Paul spends some of his quiet time at home with his other son (Ethan Khusidman) who has developed traumas from his brother’s death. Assisting him in the investigation is Deputy Donny Saunders (Lukas Haas), a New York native who is still adjusting to life in the town. Nursing his own guilt from a recent tragedy, Donny has some drinking problems.
The odd prints are initially thought to be simply pranks but
disturbing signs keep coming. Pets disappear, deer and wildlife die, and birds
flee from the area. Three hunters are suddenly attacked in the woods but one
manages to survive and tell Sheriff Shields about the colossal cloven-hoofed
menace.
A severe snowstorm hits Maiden Woods. While most locales
temporarily left town, those left gather in the church as ordered by Sheriff
Shields. The predator begins breaking into individual houses and it is only a matter
of time before it visits the seemingly indomitable church.
Dark was the Night,
much like other films in the genre, is filled with conventions and predictable
twists. Heroes looking for redemption for their personal tragedies are
protagonists commonly found not only in horror films but in every type. However,
the movie compensates its lack of originality with well-mannered and controlled
structure. Aside from its stirring character dynamics, there is shrewd restraint
in its storytelling. Though predictable, the revelation about the sheriff’s backstory
is well-timed that it achieves parallel connection with the recent tragedy in
Maiden Woods. The monster also takes too long to show up. Other than the
occasional glimpse of its dinosaur-like claws or hooves, it only appears
head, feet and all at the climactic siege in the church. So when it comes out,
it emerges with a big bang! It is absolutely ugly but incontestably huge
and creepy.
The film also has some touch of ecological awareness as the aforementioned
menace is tree-dwelling in nature. So when it is driven out of its home due to
logging, it seeks similar places. But this time, the predator is not anymore
satisfied with the trees as it hunts for comfort in human homes. In the
terrifying climax, the sanctity and sturdiness of the church is not enough to
keep the presence away.
Though the film is mostly dull, it remains watchable due to
the solid performance of the cast, particularly of the two leads. Durand shows
tacit strength and resolve as the sheriff while bitter and angry as the same
time as the grieving father. He maintains such negativity but manages to
perform heroics for the community who counts on him. Innocent-faced and
wide-eyed Hass levels with Durand as the self-sacrificing deputy.
Dark was the Night is
intelligent but generic. Its atmospherics, mostly monochromatic and dreary,
work at some moments but depressing at certain times. It is tender and inspiring,
but boring at the same time. Though its character development and plot
restraint are admirable, it remains too common and derivative to leave lasting effects.
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