By Becca Johnson August 24, 2024
From Darkness - not to be confused with Stone Age horror Out of Darkness from earlier this year - is a Swedish mystery/thriller/horror hybrid directed by Philip W. Da Silva. The story follows park ranger Angelica (Rakel Bener), who must seek the help of her dog handler ex-boyfriend Viktor (Oscar Skagerberg) to search for a missing woman in a dangerous nature reserve in Sweden. The search is complicated by a disturbing myth about the Cave Banshee, a vengeful spirit from Nordic folklore that once lured miners to their deaths in the reserve’s treacherous caves.
Despite an eerie and atmospheric setting and intriguing central premise, From Darkness unfortunately falls victim to its melodrama, which takes precedence over anything interesting the story had to offer.
Review
It’s good to note before viewing that From Darkness is much more a thriller than a horror. The story is mostly centered on missing children and relationship breakdown, rather than the Cave Banshee the premise mentions. It certainly has a knack for tension-building, and likes to immerse its audience into the cold, frosty nature reserve, but this alongside a couple of fun spooky moments and jump scares are the only bursts of horror we get. From Darkness goes for the slow build, tense and atmospheric approach - those who this method of storytelling appeals to will likely find much to like in here. The snowy wilderness is such a unique setting and its really well utilised, with the script zoning in on the darkness, isolation, low temperature and seemingly endless paths that the location has to offer. The central premise at play here is certainly an intriguing one that despite feeling quite formulaic in its approach, appears at first to be another solid entry into the missing persons thriller category. The dialogue is competent and engaging, the set-up is intriguing and the characters seem interesting enough to get behind and delve into.
Unfortunately, once the group set foot into the reserve to find their missing woman, From Darkness slowly but surely falls apart. The bookends aren’t bad, with an enticing set-up and a decent climax, but everything in the middle feels drab. The bickering and unresolved tension between Angelica and Viktor starts out fine, but becomes more grating as the run-time progresses. There is also a love triangle element that goes under explored and feels tacked on, allowing many corny lines of dialogue to surface. The films biggest sin is its lack of exploration when it comes to the Cave Banshee. Diminished to one exposition-dump monologue and a few fleeting mentions and pieces of imagery here and there, its presence goes ignored for approximately 90% of the run-time. Not only does this squander any excitement built up by the set-up and initial premise, but it takes away many an opportunity for horror and scares. Many plot beats go under explained, and perhaps if we’d had more development for our villain, there wouldn’t be so many loose ends. The script cares more for its melodrama than it does its Nordic mythology, ultimately ignoring what makes it sound great.
From Darkness is very well made and has excellent production value. The tension building works a treat, the setting is fantastically utilised and the lead performances are good. It’s a shame that the melodrama gets in the way of Angelica and Viktor’s development, as the performances delivered by Bener and Skagerberg are good. Both easily tap into the emotion needed, with Viktor’s slow descent into madness and struggling to differentiate between reality and fiction being well portrayed by Skagerberg. There are a couple of scares along the way, with the eerie location constantly reminding you not to get too comfortable.
Unfortunately, glaring pacing issues and improper use of its villain render From Darkness ultimately forgettable. What presents itself as a unique mystery thriller about Nordic mythology slowly turns into a relationship drama between ex’s who have a difficult past that they’ve left unfinished. The supporting characters aren’t all that likable, the dialogue turns sub-par and the narrative isn’t all that cohesive.
Star Rating
From Darkness premieres at Frightfest 2024 August 24
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