Dark Was The Night

A well-crafted horror pic that compensates (at least to a point) for its lack of original ideas with nice atmospherics and judicious restraint.

"Dark Was The Night" is a horror movie, a creepy and atmospheric and sometimes blood-soaked horror movie, and it's got a good amount going for it.

It's quite obvious the filmmakers didn't put a lot of thought into it and went straight for the cheapest thrills.

The trouble lies in Tyler Hisel's script, which teems with wheezy conventions (as its title suggests) ...

As generic as its title, Jack Heller's monster-in-the-woods horror film aspires to be the stuff of nightmares but instead merely lulls the viewer into an untroubled sleep.

I mean, what else is the night supposed to be?

An atmospheric creature fright film competently directed by Jack Heller.

Not enough innovation to break free from its budgetary and generic constraints. The whole plot is pretty tight though, and it may just warrant a watch for the slightly unconventional finale.

"Dark Was the Night" is not without a handful of sly, moody touches, but when it ends just as it should start ramping up, it is impossible not to walk away less than satisfied.

"Dark was the Night" had the potential to engender scares, but the movie suffers from trying too hard.

Yes, this is a horror movie - and a good one - but its tension does not derive primarily from the mechanics of suspense... Dark Was The Night wants to make you feel its character's pain.