The Dark and the Wicked follows siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbot Jr.) as they return to their family’s secluded farm in a rural community to help their aging mother take care of their dying father. Things are not quite what they seem as their mother has aged quite rapidly due to dementia and caring for her dying husband. Louise and Michael work together to support their mother during this dark time but a darkness descends upon their mother and begins to spread to the rest of the farm the longer they stay there.
There was so much that this film did well. The characters and story were so compelling; I felt a connection with the family and really cared about them and their plight. There were also a lot of little twists and turns throughout the whole movie that kept me guessing and they didn’t feel cheap like in some other movies. The haunting tone of the movie starts with the opening scene and is carried all the way through to the end. It did a really good job of making me feel uneasy for basically the entire movie, that sort of knot in the stomach “I shouldn’t be watching this” kind of feeling.
The cinematography was stunning and the soundscape/score was robust, both helped carry so much of the tone of the movie. The special effects were quite gruesome and believable. I am a person that is quite sensitive to seeing blood and gore and can be turned off from a movie if they rely on this too much. But I thought that the special effects they used and the amount they used added so much to the film. Overall, there is so much to like about this movie and I will be adding it to my list of movies to watch again.
There isn’t really much that I did not like about this movie, the few complaints I have are quite small and would not keep me from recommending this movie. The first complaint I have was that there were some issues with pacing. Some scenes were a little boring and didn’t seem to add a lot or carry the emotions from the previous scenes. Again, this wasn’t too often though and I feel that overall the tone and pace of the movie was still quite nice. Another flaw was the use of jump scares. Where I do think the film does a good job of being creepy and scary throughout, there are a few jump scares that don’t seem to fit naturally. While this isn’t a huge deal, it does annoy me when films rely on the tactic too much. Another issue is that I thought some of the southern accents used by the actors were quite fake. As a person who was raised in (and currently lives in) the southern rural United States, I am quite familiar with southern accents/dialects, and cheesy accents can be a major turn off for me. I thought that most performances were excellent, but some of the accents just got on my nerves. Again this isn’t a huge deal, most people probably won’t even notice but it is just something I am sensitive to. Overall, there is not a lot wrong with this movie and could not recommend it more.
RORSCHACH RATING
Mental Health Moment (somewhat adult content): I think one of the many things this film did well was the way it discussed aging and grief. When Louise and Michael arrive at the farm they know that their father is not doing very well but they also discover that their mother’s mental health has suffered quite significantly - most likely due to the toll of taking care of the farm and her dying husband. As she naturally declines due to aging and dementia, she begins acting in a very creepy and erratic manner. This puts Louise and Michael in a tense situation where they are grieving their father’s death before he actually passes away and also grieving their mother who has begun to fade away as well. This conflict doesn’t last too long because early on in the movie their mother has a mental breakdown that results in her suicide, but it is still an event that they are deeply affected by their mothers decline and her passing. The film takes the perspective that the mother’s decline is due to something more sinister than the sole influence of aging and mental health, but on the surface there is still a message about grieving during a difficult situation like this. As someone who has lost loved ones who had dementia I could relate to some of the messaging in this movie. When someone begins to fade due to dementia, it is a really hard place to be in because you slowly lose them and grieve the ambiguous loss of who they were even while they are still alive. This is quite a troubling place to be in and it can be very dark and confusing, and the eventual death can leave you quite raw because you basically have to grieve the loss of the loved one multiple times.The film captures this quite nicely and it was truly terrifying. If there is any positive message to this it would be to never take for granted the loved ones in your life. Make those weekly phone calls, send those daily texts, stop by for visits from time to time. Our life on this earth is far too short and the legacy we leave will affect those around us. Cherish these precious moments that we have.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by) and more. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. The Dark & the Wicked is property of RJLE Films. We do not own nor claim any rights. The Dark and The Wicked is available in theaters, VOD & digital beginning November 6th, 2020.
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