The Dark & The Wicked (2020).

Directed by Bryan Bertino

Written by Bryan Bertino

Starring Marin Ireland, Michael Abbot Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, Michael Zagst, Tom Nowicki, and Xander Berkeley

1. (The Stage)

Louise and Michael come to their parents secluded farm to visit their father, who is on his deathbed. They soon realize that something has also taken up residence in the family home…something dark and wicked.

2. (The Good)

Successful horror movies are all about atmosphere. The Dark & The Wicked builds that atmosphere wonderfully both audibly and visually and it’s never sullied with things like cheap “oh lol it’s just the family cat!” jump scares. You’re going to be filled with anxiety the entire time while watching this film.

The sound design is the first thing that stood out to me. Watch as the mother cuts carrots - you hear that knife plunging through each thread of the carrot while also cutting the silence of an old farm house. It’s perfect. You’ll dread every breath, every creak in the floor boards. The score is used sparingly, and it’s only to create atmosphere, not to pull your emotional strings.

The visuals are really great as well. There’s a particular scene near the end of the film that shows a candle lit, casting a shadow on the father’s bed frame against the wall. If you’re not paying attention, you’d miss that the straight bed posts are wavy in the shadow. Blink and you’ll miss another shadow standing in the doorway. It’s that level of detail that Bryan Bertino included in every frame of this film. The cinematography is beautiful, especially on those long shots of the farm or the goats.

The actors are all great. Both Marin Ireland and Michael Abbot Jr. pull their weight here as conflicted siblings dealing with the strange things happening to their family, but Ireland stands out with her performance as Louise. She has some scenes that are simply heartbreaking, and she really pulls it off.

Of course when it comes to horror films, the most important question is, “Is this movie scary or not?”

Yes, it is. This movie is scary as fuck.

3. (The Bad)

This is going to be really hard to explain without spoilers, so if you’re interested in this film, just skip this part of the review.

My only real criticism of the film is that we never really find out why the ‘thing’ is there and how it can be dealt with. The nurse gives what seems like a way out (love protects a soul), and one of the main characters does that, but still loses in the end. I’m okay with bleak endings and abject dread, but there needs to be some semblance of hope to really make that fully work. Clearly we see that their time in this house will live on with them, and there doesn’t see any way to beat it. I guess the point is that, in the end, evil is just…evil.

4. (The Ugly)

Let’s just say I’ll be way more careful the next time I’m chopping veggies.

5. (The End)

If you’re into atmospheric, mature horror, this is going to tickle your fancy. It’s one of the scariest movies I’ve seen in years. There’s no humor here, no moments of levity - it’s not that kind of flick. The Dark & The Wicked is going to punch you in the gut and kick you while you’re down, and it won’t let up until the credits roll…but if you’re a horror fan, sometimes you want that from a film.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of horror films.