Dir. Justin P. Lange | Now Streaming on Tubi | Rating: 5/5

After hearing the spicy review of this film over on Episode 146 of Horror Movie Weekly, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring and to defend my cohost’s honor. For listeners of No Bodies, this is a joke in itself, since PV and I rarely agree on films – but if there’s a fight on any review, you know I want in. 

The Dark had me sobbing when the credits rolled. This film subverts the zombie sub genre by grappling with the reality of life after death through a lens of trauma, forgiveness, and retribution. Though the main characters are teenagers, I view them as children, since they each have been deprived of their youth and innocence in different ways. 

I’m an only child, but the universe gave me a little brother through my best friend, so storylines with this character dynamic hit me hard. Watching Mina stumble through her own complex relationship with trauma in order to protect Alex, felt so utterly raw and genuine. It makes the horror of what these characters encounter so much more upsetting. And maybe more so for me, because much like Alex does for Mina, my best friend has brought my humanity back to me more times than I can count. This is more of a psychological horror than a zombie film, but The Dark bends the genre constraints in ways not many films have. 

The sticking point for our friends Jay and Watson was the interpretation of Mina’s morality throughout the story. These two gents are morally upstanding citizens and while I’m an anarchist psycho apparently, because we never seem to agree on this train of thought. For me, it’s hard to apply real life logic to Mina’s actions because one – this is a film not real life, and two – this an artistic depiction of the response trauma victims have toward their abusers. The idea of wanting to absolutely destroy what hurts you, or what threatens you, after a situation like Mina’s is not that far fetched at all. 

The Dark is a chilling and realistic take on how far we will go to survive, and how our humanity can always return, no matter how dark our lives seem. Aesthetically stunning and well told, this is a must watch. 

Know Before You Watch: Features death, blood, CSA, rape.