Be Afraid of the Dark
Of Darkness Offers Quick Story of Fright
What do you get when you take a group of pre-pubescent boys, a copy of the Necronomicon, and a night home alone? Chances are, you won't get a good night's sleep. In Of Darkness, a short film by director Gary Irwin, the premise of kids playing with the supernatural is mixed with a powerful metaphor of adult irresponsibility.
Written by: Matt Casale
Starring: Eric Austin, Brendon Boyes, Dominic Fera, Adam Montgomery, Frank Nardi, and Dallas Scott
Rated
Running time: 21 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 6 out of 10.
The story is a simple one. Two brothers are putting away grandpa's old war chest when they drop it and spill its contents. The youngest, Jeff (Dallas Scott), discovers a book that appears to be bound in human skin. Brian (Frank Nardi) tells his brother that grandpa used to be a Satan worshipper -- but whether this is true or merely a story to scare the younger brother is not clear.
Jeff is left alone for the evening after his absentee mother leaves Brian in charge. Brian ducks out to go to a party, so Jeff invites his friends for a sleep over. He pulls out the creepy book and uses the story to scare the youngest member of the group, Charlie (Adam Montgomery).
Montgomery is one of those kids who has the creepy, haunted look essential to a good horror story. He seems weak, and his eyes and his lips are such that he seems to be suffering from a lack of oxygen. Aside from Montgomery, the acting by the kids is about what one expects from a low-budget short. It could be better, but the film relies on the storytelling not the acting.
The key to the film is in the direction. With almost no special effects, director Irwin uses lighting to his full advantage. The vanishing light herds the children together, pushing them back like a rising tide. The darkness is only darkness, but the implied horror is more intense than anything that special effects could create.
What makes Of Darkness so frightening is that the "weapon" of choice, a fictional book of evil, could easily be replaced by a gun and the outcome of the story would remain the same. The end of the film is not surprising, but it is chilling.
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