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A Dark Song

Play trailer 2:13 Poster for A Dark Song 2016 1h 40m Drama Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A young woman and a damaged occultist risk their souls to perform a ritual.
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A Dark Song

A Dark Song

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Critics Consensus

A Dark Song offers atmospheric, unsettling horror -- and marks writer-director Liam Gavin as one to watch.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas The Blue Lenses An extraordinarily personal film, A Dark Song feels like a folk tale whispered to you at night while you sleep by person or persons unknown, recalled in vague half-remembered images and flashes of almost incomprehensible truths. Rated: 9/10 Aug 25, 2018 Full Review Matthew Lickona San Diego Reader Imperfectly realized, but still worthy of its ambition. Rated: 2/5 May 26, 2017 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle An instant classic, the sort of film that will make you check under your bed at night and then amplify into terror the midnight creaks and 3am breezes that unsettle every house at times, most especially yours. May 25, 2017 Full Review Eve Tushnet Patheos A slow and wrenching film which nonetheless lives up to the promise of its title. Sep 18, 2023 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh An unconventional tale of belief and the supernatural, which includes compelling performances, but it doesn't quite stick the landing. Rated: 3/5 May 12, 2023 Full Review David Reddish Queerty For much of its runtime, A Dark Song plays coy about the intentions of its characters. Do Sophia and Joseph really believe theyre summoning supernatural beings? Or is the whole ritual just an excuse for some wild kink? Rated: 4/4 Mar 20, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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ROY Y "A Dark Song" is less a horror film and more a grueling procedural drama about a spiritual ordeal. It stands apart from its contemporaries by refusing to rely on cheap scares, opting instead for an atmosphere of suffocating dread and a meticulous, almost painful, focus on the mechanics of occult ritual. For the discerning viewer, particularly one versed in theology or psychology, the film offers not entertainment, but a powerful, and potentially perilous, case study. The Authenticity of the Ordeal The film's primary strength is its commitment to process. Based on the real-world Book of Abramelin, the narrative follows Sophia's months-long psychological and physical descent as she and the occultist Joseph prepare for a divine encounter. This is where the film finds its "truth." It authentically portrays the universal archetypes of a spiritual quest: the unwavering discipline required, the crushing isolation, the agonizing periods of doubt and despair, and the slow, painful stripping away of the ego. The film forces the viewer to confront the reality that any genuine spiritual ascent requires a torturous descent into the self. It validates the principle that suffering is not an obstacle to transformation, but the very mechanism of it. The Critical Flaw: Compulsion vs. Surrender Here, however, the film must be viewed with extreme analytical caution. The entire operation is built on a foundation of human will—Sophia's will to contact her deceased son. The ritual is an attempt to compel grace, to treat the divine as a system to be hacked and manipulated for a desired outcome. This is the film's central, and most dangerous, theological error. It presents a path of compulsion rather than surrender. The protagonist's immense suffering is channeled into an act of supreme spiritual pride, not humility. For viewers with a background in traditional faith, this is a critical distinction. The film is a masterful depiction of what happens when the human desire for control is projected onto the divine. It is a journey not towards God's will, but towards the temporary deification of human will. Recommendation: A Viewer's Mandate We recommend "A Dark Song" not as a casual horror film, but as an advanced intellectual and spiritual exercise. It is essential viewing for those who study the intersection of faith, psychology, and the human hunger for meaning. However, we issue this recommendation with a stern mandate: one must protect the mind. Do not watch this film passively. Watch it as an analyst. Deconstruct its theological arguments, question its protagonist's motivations, and hold its depiction of spiritual mechanics against a framework of true divine sovereignty. The film's value lies not in its conclusion, but in the rigorous intellectual and spiritual self-examination it demands of its audience. It is a dark song, and one must be firmly rooted in the light to appreciate its composition without being drawn into its dissonant melody. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/25 Full Review Claudio C A Dark Song (2016) Overrated and Boring Horror Film with Messy Conclusion (11,847 – 28 Apr 2017 / 22 Jul 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) Sophia Howard (Catherine Walker) rents a house in the countryside of Wales and hires the occultist Joseph Solomon (Steve Oram) to contact his son that was kidnapped and murdered by teenagers practicing black magic. During the days, Sophia follows the guidance of Solomon in rituals to purify her soul. However, Sophia has a hidden agenda that jeopardizes their lives. "A Dark Song" is an independent low-budget horror movie by the unknown Liam Gavin. The boring and theatrical screenplay is promising until the awful and messy conclusion that goes nowhere. The only good point are the performances of Catherine Walker and Steve Oram, but it is not worthwhile watching this film. My vote is three. Title (Brazil): Not Available My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Dan S This isn’t just a horror film—it’s a spiritual ordeal. Liam Gavin’s debut feature is a stripped-down, emotionally intense chamber piece that explores grief, guilt, and transcendence through the lens of ceremonial magic. What begins as a story of obsession slowly reveals itself as something far more tender and profound. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/25/25 Full Review Scott P Good movie. Only the very ending is a little Mehhh. But really excellent exploration in the invocation ritual via the grimoire. 👍👍👍 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Music Videos I There’s so much about this film I like, this is the type of movie I generally enjoy. It comes close to being great, but it just falls short in a couple of areas. Firstly, it’s too long, and that’s not something I would usually say, but it becomes a little stodgy in the middle and you could pretty easily cut fifteen minutes to sharpen it up. Secondly, it built well and I was prepared for an ending which was really going to hit me emotionally. But it didn’t really do that as well as it could. I didn’t hate the ending but it didn’t quite impact as much as I was expecting. It’s a good film, well acted, nice cinematography, interesting and intelligent plot, no massive issues with it, but for me it misses out on being top tier. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/31/25 Full Review Leonardo K Great movie set off of the spiritual book "Abramelin the Mage" that puts you on a quest to get your guardian angel. However if you don't do it right you will get demons and be stuck in a non linear plane of existence. You have to look at this as a spiritual quest that takes a year to complete. You should research a little on the Goetia and Abramelin books. There is a lot on youtube. Miss Walker has an amazing figure for a 40+ women, 18 year olds would want it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/06/25 Full Review Read all reviews
A Dark Song

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young woman and a damaged occultist risk their souls to perform a ritual.
Director
Liam Gavin
Producer
David Collins, Tim Dennison, Cormac Fox
Screenwriter
Liam Gavin
Production Co
Samson Films, Tall Man Films
Genre
Drama, Horror
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 28, 2017
Runtime
1h 40m
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