Dark Was the Night

Heller doesn’t lack talent, he proved that already in his début Enter Nowhere. In his second film he delivers a solid monster horror story with a creature that terrorises a small town, first killing the pets and then inhabitants. It’s slow, sombre and with bleached colours. Heller is competent at building an atmosphere, but it’s a shame that when the monster is fully revealed in the end I was quite disappointed; it was better when all you could see were the claws or its silhouette. But the main problem I have (and the reason I’m sticking to a safe three-star rating) is that, given the premise and the straightforward script, Dark Was the Night is almost absurdly serious. Plot-wise it’s just and ordinary monster B-movie, and the script doesn’t even try to be original or creative in any way, but the characters at times act and speak as if they were in a Dostoevsky play. (2015-07-25)

Dark Was the Night isn't a bad film at all; rather, it's unremarkable, with its biggest issue being that it simply lacks originality. But it's made well, in such a way that you'll enjoy it. Plus, there's a monster that basically doesn't appear the whole time, you only see hints of it, or only what it left behind. In that respect, it's a good craftsmanship that's worth checking out. (2016-05-12)

Two famous supporting character actors elevate this cheap horror B-movie. The psychological analysis of the traumatized main character is appreciated and Kevin Durand makes it believable. The autumnal atmosphere of a small American town is also good; its simple inhabitants are easy prey for the monster. And the movies sad, gloomy tone, accentuated with dark music and cool camera filters, gives the film an impressive identity. Just don’t expect any revolutionary story ideas or a cool-looking monster. In fact, the monster makes only a brief appearance and is an utter disappointment in terms both artistic concept and digital design. Three stars with both eyes closed. (2016-04-27)