What's missing from...The Dark (2018) Full review

So much potential here...

In this delightfully wicked tale a young girl from the grave makes friends with a boy who's been blinded, both interconnected by the horrific abuses that made them. Wow, just wow what a concept! Mina and Alex will surely find solace and comfort together right? No way this could possible fall apart under it's own far reaching weight? Well, that my friends is a complicated question. You see the film in many ways is original and well made, starkly filmed and moving at an appropriate stumble and run pace. I did however have some issues.

I like obsequious. I like the word and what it means and usually don't mind it in film. Sometimes keeping the shroud on the mystery is exotic and romantic and other times its just plain annoying. For me, too much is left in the dark here. While we get the brunt of Mina's abusive past (In a rather unpleasant scene) we never quite get a grasp on Alex. Why was he blinded, who did it, you know, the basics. Trying to enjoy a film while grappling with the what's what is not fun. Normally I'm okay but here the audience needs more to connect with the characters.

Toby Nichols has the look but is missing the emotional fire to bring it home.

Acting/Perfomances are hit and miss. Nadia Alexander is fantastic as Mina. Shy and ferocious, the innocence twisted with feelings of retribution. We feel her pain, we want her to find peace. Toby Nichols on the other hand as blind Alex really got on my nerves. There really was no emotion to his performance other than wimpy and whiny. He could have, should have been complex but one cry lead to the next and with nary and explanation of his pain. Together what could have been a love story is not which is fine but it feels disconnected. There is an almost automaton feel to the proceedings.

Mina is a maelstrom of emotions and personality and Nadia Alexander does a bang up job conveying them.

Invariably this is still a pretty good flick. The story is original and Nadia Alexander is very believable as the multi-faceted Mina. Despite a complete disconnect to the plight of the main characters I was still intrigued and somewhat entertained. Hey no film needs to be perfect but this one could have been so much better.

3.5/5

click for trailer