Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Darkness Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 9, 2024

The saga of Bob and Harvey Weinstein is one filled with ugliness, with the pair employing strong-arm tactics to help dominate the film industry. For a while in the 1990s and the early 2000s, it worked, with the siblings managing to build their company, Miramax, into a major player during awards season and on weekly box office charts. Part of this corporate approach involved the acquisition and alteration of genre pictures, with Bob’s Dimension Films notorious for re-editing features, reducing length and occasionally softening violence, allowing the company to sell PG-13 experiences to young audiences. 2002’s “Darkness” is one of many efforts subjected to the Weinstein treatment, with the Spanish production shelved for two years, eventually handed a quickie Christmas release in a version roughly 15 minutes shorter than its original cut. At the time, “Darkness” was awful, finding director Jaume Balaguero’s trendy visuals and inability to summon suspense making for a hard sit. Now his initial version is available (including this Blu-ray release), and the offering is…slightly less awful. That’s not to suggest the Weinsteins were correct in cutting down Balaguero’s endeavor, but the material and execution are deeply flawed, generating a tedious ghost story.

Mark (Iain Glen) has moved his family from America to Spain, accepting a home provided by his father, Dr. Albert (Giancarlo Giannini). Joining Mark is his wife, Maria (Lena Olin), and his two children, with young Paul (Stephan Enquist) going along with his parents, while teen Regina (Anna Paquin) is considering bailing on the whole experience, trusting boyfriend Carlos (Fele Martinez) with her concerns. Feeling the stress of everything, Mark succumbs to a surge of Huntington’s disease, which leaves him powerless to seizures and rage issues, frightening his family, with Maria also stuck trying to make things work in a remote living space. When Paul begins to exhibit signs of physical abuse and Mark plunges deeper into madness, Regina starts to investigate the housing situation with Carlos, learning more about its past as a place of evil, while understanding its ghostly inhabitants, who have a special interest in Paul. As violence erupts in the dwelling, Regina desperately hunts for a way to identify the enemy, unable to convince Maria that something sinister is brewing in the walls, ready to take the youngest member of the family.

“Darkness” can’t quite make up its mind about the location of Mark’s home, with everyone initially treating the dwelling as completely isolated from the rest of the world, while Maria later states that the house is a short drive from downtown. Details aren’t too important to Balaguero, who merely needs a location to create some spooky business, opening the movie with a vision of ghastly violence that occurred on the property long ago. 40 years later, there’s now a family moving in, with Mark trying to cheerleader a relocation to Spain, which is accepted by everyone but Regina, who repeats her protests throughout the first half of the film, even threatening to move back to America. She’s upset, but not an outcast, already claiming a boyfriend in photographer Carlos, who’s a roughly developed character, merely positioned here as help once investigative elements arrive in the screenplay (credited to Balaguero and Fernando de Felipe). Emotional pain is communicated in “Darkness,” and there’s a more ominous event on the horizon, with the feature counting down to an eclipse, adding a bit of cosmic dread to the picture.

“Darkness” examines issues with Mark, who’s hit with a seizure during his morning commute, learning about the return of Huntington’s disease, which flares up every now and then. He’s slowly turned into a troubled person, losing the battle with sanity as he starts to hear the house and search for its secrets. Perhaps this rising madness is meant to be tied to evidence of Paul’s abuse, but Balaguero doesn’t connect the dots in a powerful way. Instead, “Darkness” flounders with the central mystery, finding the picture spending a lot of time on supernatural events, especially around Paul, who’s the first to understand the family isn’t alone in the house.

“Darkness” deals with ghostly happenings, giving Balaguero a chance to highlight his visual sense with genre entertainment. What’s here is very of- the-era, as the production turns to hyperactive editing, quaking visuals, and a substantial amount of lighting effects to generate a sufficient threat level. The whole thing looks like a Nine Inch Nails music video from the early ‘90s, and such an approach feels plastic, lacking an organic build of unease as Paul is battered, Mark loses connection to reality, and Maria grows too fatigued with it all. As for Regina, her detective work has some promise, but Balaguero ends the journey too quickly, leaving the last 30 minutes of the film to climatic events that should take ten minutes to resolve.

“Darkness” comes to Blu-ray with two viewing options: the “Uncensored, Unrated Version” (102:32) and the Theatrical Cut (88:45).

Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Darkness" was originally issued on Blu-ray in 2012, and returns to disc via Shout Factory, who provides an AVC encoded image (2.40:1 aspect ratio) presentation. A fresh scan hasn't been completed for "Darkness," leaving fans with an average viewing experience. Age is present, but colors are decent, doing well with defined primaries used to cut through the moodiness of the endeavor. Frame elements such as colored pencils and fashion choices are distinct, and atmospheric lighting is appreciable, including cool blues for aquatic action. Skin tones are natural. Detail is on the softer side, offering a mild sense of skin particulars and costuming. Household interiors are also acceptable, examining age and decay. Exteriors retain basic depth. Blacks are difficult here, with cinematography reliant on shadowy events, finding such intensity turning into solidification at times. Compression largely holds together. Source is in good condition.

Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix delivers a clear understanding of dialogue exchanges, which navigate some hushed encounters and heavier accents. Scoring supports with sharp instrumentation and dramatic emphasis, with musical moods pushing into the surrounds on occasion. Atmospherics do well, creating a circular presence for weather events and ghostly happenings. Some panning effects are appreciable. Low-end isn't challenged, but some violent activity carries weight.

Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Darkness Illuminated" (3:56, SD) is an EPK-style overview of the production experience, featuring interviews with director Jaume Balaguero and actors Iain Glen, Lena Olin, and Anna Paquin. The interviewees share the story of "Darkness," and offer an overview of character and motivation. Balaguero also tries to sell the intensity of the feature and his effort to maintain practical effects. Brief glimpses of BTS footage are also included.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:20, HD) is included.

Darkness Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Darkness" is a drag, but the original cut is more complete with its ideas, going deeper into character, with lengthier assessments of motivations. Balaguero ultimately doesn't have much use for people, reducing the finale to a blur of occult events and supporting characters. He's also not strong with casting, as most of the actors assembled here are out of their range, making for awkward emoting and poor accent work. "Darkness" goes for a spooky conclusion, which is welcome, but the journey there is loaded with derivative and uninspired filmmaking, and the central tale of horror is badly bungled in both cuts of the feature.