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The Dark Half

R 1993 2h 2m Horror List
62% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has had success writing novels under both his real name and his pseudonym, George Stark, which he uses to publish base thrillers. When word gets out that they are one and the same, the author holds a mock funeral for Stark. But after a rash of murders eerily similar to those in the Stark books, Thad and his wife, Liz (Amy Madigan), realize that Stark is real and responsible, and must work with local Sheriff Pangborn (Michael Rooker) to stop him.
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The Dark Half

The Dark Half

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Critics Consensus

The Dark Half is a highly serious psychological study that can be faulted for being more curious than actually scary.

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Critics Reviews

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Susie Eisenhuth Sydney Morning Herald Strong performances add the required heft to keep you onside when the plot gets dodgy. Hutton's nice-guy image is perfect for the dual role. Feb 28, 2024 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune As if to make up for the slack pacing, the violence seems unnecessarily garish and sadistic. Rated: 2/4 Oct 4, 2019 Full Review Jack Yeovil Empire Magazine This is too well-made and acted to be a total failure, and even the formulaic slasher scenes are handled with creepy aplomb. Rated: 2/5 Oct 8, 2018 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …fuses elements of Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll lore and comes up with something dark and disturbing… Rated: 3/5 Feb 27, 2024 Full Review Grant Watson Fiction Machine There is much to enjoy here, but thanks to a simplistic script and needless repetition there is only so much enjoyment to be had. Rated: 6/10 Feb 20, 2024 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Among the most faithful of all King adaptations, The Dark Half remains an underrated work in the cinema of both King and Romero. Rated: 3.5/4 Feb 23, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sparky K One of the better Stephen King adaptations. A little dated perhaps but a fairly faithful telling of the story, apart from being condensed (as King films always are) with a few minor details changed. Definitely a film worth seeing. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 02 hours: and 02 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/23 Full Review Brian W This Stephen King adaptation was good in the sense that the portrayal of the characters were in good taste of what was needed from them. The logic behind the background of the story might be off the beaten path but as a twin we all have these thoughts. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Will G Just about my favourite Stephen king adaptation. Massively underrated and very faithful to the book. One of Romero's best works , the special effects are excellent still and the facial makeup in the last scenes just has to be seen. It's tightly scripted, doesn't sag at all with no unnecessary padding. One of my favourite supernatural horror movies. 5 stars out of 5.👍 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review russell h Pretty faithful to the book but it just isn't scary and hasn't aged well Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review robert p Another stinkeroo of a movie! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Dark Half

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Cast & Crew

The Dark Half

The Dark Half: Official Clip - Sparrow Annihilation The Dark Half: Official Clip - Sparrow Annihilation 2:57 The Dark Half: Official Clip - Revealing Nightmares The Dark Half: Official Clip - Revealing Nightmares 2:16 The Dark Half: Official Clip - A Tale of Two Authors The Dark Half: Official Clip - A Tale of Two Authors 2:16 The Dark Half: Official Clip - One in the Same The Dark Half: Official Clip - One in the Same 2:24 The Dark Half: Official Clip - Suspected for Murder The Dark Half: Official Clip - Suspected for Murder 2:29 The Dark Half: Official Clip - A Cut & Go Business The Dark Half: Official Clip - A Cut & Go Business 1:50 The Dark Half: Official Clip - Startling Discovery The Dark Half: Official Clip - Startling Discovery 0:56 The Dark Half: Official Clip - Showdown The Dark Half: Official Clip - Showdown 1:27 The Dark Half: Official Clip - George Stark Strikes The Dark Half: Official Clip - George Stark Strikes 1:30 The Dark Half: Official Clip - Mikey, Mikey, Mikey The Dark Half: Official Clip - Mikey, Mikey, Mikey 2:17 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has had success writing novels under both his real name and his pseudonym, George Stark, which he uses to publish base thrillers. When word gets out that they are one and the same, the author holds a mock funeral for Stark. But after a rash of murders eerily similar to those in the Stark books, Thad and his wife, Liz (Amy Madigan), realize that Stark is real and responsible, and must work with local Sheriff Pangborn (Michael Rooker) to stop him.
Director
George A. Romero
Producer
Declan Baldwin
Screenwriter
George A. Romero, Stephen King
Production Co
Orion Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.0M
Runtime
2h 2m
Sound Mix
Surround
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