The Dark and the Wicked

The Dark and the Wicked
Starring Martin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Michael Zagst
Directed by Bryan Bertino

"Hereditary" was one of those rare horror films that worked on a visceral, deep level that propelled it to something more of a piece of art rather than a typical "trashy" horror. The story of a family plagued by unseen forces went beyond the normal jump scares and tropes of the genre and produced a heightened family drama that tackled the very real issues of grief, death, and one's desire to communicate with lost loved ones. Since then there's been copies, but as with a copy, it's never as good as the original. "The Dark and the Wicked" is one such copy, a film that deserves praise for its tight storytelling and limited budget, but ultimately fails to invoke the same sense of wonder, especially with its abrupt ending.

On a small secluded farm, elderly couple Father (Michael Zagst) and Mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) are dealing with the real issue of the Father being bedridden, and close to death. Mother has to take care of him - and the land - all by herself, until her grown-up children Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) arrive to help. Things start going strange the moment they arrive, with their Mother telling them she doesn't want them there, and soon everyone is haunted by unseen evil forces that threaten not to just divide the family, but claim their souls as well.

"The Dark and the Wicked" works on a micro-level in that almost the entire film is centralized on one location, and serves as a mental block for the viewer that they feel like they can't escape the horror, much like our hapless protagonists in the film. Having grown up in the country myself, I know that the landscape is both beautiful and terrifying, especially at night, since there's no close neighbors to turn to when it all hits the fan. Thanks to the direction and writing of Bryan Bertino (who also wrote and directed the acclaimed thriller "The Strangers"), we're given a lean, cut, crisp film that doesn't overstay its welcome, and provides unnerving visuals from the very start (you'll never look at carrots the same way again). The beginning of the film is actually the most effective, and its true the saying that if you're drawn into a story at the start you'll see it through to completion, even though this film tends to almost repeat itself afterward.

As the family begins being afflicted by this evil force, it threatens to divide them, but even that doesn't seem to be a daunting task since they're all separate already. Louise and Michael haven't spoken much before this moment, and both hadn't really communicated with their parents for awhile. You can sense the separation almost immediately, and it helps add to the tension, but it also becomes a drag on the film in a sense. After every section of jump scene moments, the two siblings get together again to talk about things, which often involves them saying "I don't want to talk about it" - and if you're playing a drinking game, you'll have to go to the hospital with blood alcohol poisoning before the credits roll if you take a drink every time you hear that phrase. It doesn't invoke care for the characters when they act the same way over and over, and while all the actors give great performances, its muted by this repetitive cycle. Still, there's a sense of guilt and remorse that Louise especially feels toward her ailing father, which clouds her judgment in her desire to stay on the farm despite the weird goings-on around her.

The scares in the film are numerous and thankfully don't fully rely on cheap jump scares (although there's plenty of that as well). Here is where the parallels to "Hereditary" really kick in, especially in the opening sequence. The visuals are effective, and mixed with a solid soundtrack by Joe Stockton, it helps to showcase the feeling of isolation and hopelessness, leaving very little room for brevity and maintains a gloomy, foreboding feeling from start to finish - accomplishing its goal. Then the film concludes on a rather abrupt note, souring the good will and slow buildup that happened in the moments before, which was a huge disappointment that lowered the morale for the movie as a whole.

In dealing with familial grief and the issues of death, "The Dark and the Wicked" works admirably as both a family drama and an unrelenting horror demonic story, but doesn't elevate itself above its repetitive dialogue and lackluster conclusion.

The Score: C