In Darkness

R

Released Feb 10, 2012

2 hr. 25 min.

History

Drama

List

88%

114 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz) is a sewer worker in Nazi-occupied Lvov, Poland. When he finds a group of Jews hiding in the sewers, Leopold agrees to protect them from the Nazis in exchange for money, even though it could mean his death if they are found. Though he is solely motivated by cash at first, their experiences lead Leopold to adopt a different view of the people under his protection. When catastrophe strikes, Leopold is forced into a final act of courage.

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Liam D

Agnieszka Holland (Rosemary's Baby, Cold Case) Oscar nominated drama is a powerful acted, beautifully shot and amazingly written about an horrific event in history

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/22

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Tim G

More than one-note characters made this compelling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/04/22

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Audience Member

As I’ve been watching more and more films in the last decade, I’ve seen a lot of movies about WWII, and more than my fair share focusing specifically on Jews hiding from the Nazis. In Darkness is yet another of those, and as always, the movie is bleak and difficult to watch. That’s not to say it is a bad movie. I was certainly engaged by the sewer worker who risked his own life in order to save a handful of Jews. It has a nice arc to the story, because he starts out reluctant (driven only by greed) and we get to see how that changes over time. However, aside from the fact that this felt a bit like more of the same to me, there are some definite flaws in the story construction of this film. For one thing, in the mass hysteria of all the Jews fleeing and arguing who will be saved, it is way too dark and confusing. Among the chaos, I lost all track of who was who, and how any of them were related. This hurt the story because I wasn’t forming that kind of personal connection with the individuals and I wanted to get closer to them emotionally. There were also some subplots that were needless distractions that didn’t influence the story enough to warrant inclusion in the film. In Darkness is a powerful movie because it deals with a weighty subject matter, and shows us the true story of how hard it was to survive the Holocaust. While I fully appreciate it as a film, it didn’t measure up to others I’ve seen in the genre, and it’s certainly not one I feel the need to revisit.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/26/20

Full Review

Audience Member

A decent 'based on a true story' WWII drama, but really this doesn't deliver anything new to the viewer. I've no idea if the characters portrayed were closely based on the genuine people involved but the strength in the film at least lies in their depiction. The film itself is only ever passingly interesting and fails to deliver much tension or emotion for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A harrowing and haunting retelling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Ned P

A powerful story that, unfortunately, runs about 20 minutes too long. What starts out as being suspenseful and harrowing turns into a siege, and, eventually, a bore.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/27/18

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Agnieszka Holland

Director

Robert Wieckiewicz

Leopold Socha

Benno Fürmann

Mundek Margulies

Agnieszka Grochowska

Klara Keller

Maria Schrader

Pauline Chiger

Herbert Knaup

Ignacy Chiger

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Critics Consensus: Journey 2 Isn’t Quite Worth the Trip

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Alison Willmore

The Playlist

Holland's film is extraordinarily generous with its characters in ways that take the story beyond being a historical fable of altruism and endurance.

Rated: A-

Mar 11, 2014

Full Review

Michael Brooke

Sight & Sound

Though the film's factual basis dictates an upbeat ending, much of the journey is appropriately and memorably grim.

Mar 11, 2014

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Holland does root around in some grubby, previously unexplored corners, but the film never quite breaks free from that conventional structure.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 19, 2012

Full Review

Giuseppe Sedia

Kino Mania

In Holland’s vision [the sewers] are a filthy and nauseating maze where hope goes to die. When it comes to the escape through stairwells and channels, Holland’s long takes are every bit as sharp and enveloping as Kathryn Bigelow’s point-of-view shots.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 20, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It also celebrates the will to live even in the face of the worst adversities and reminds us that even a simple sewer worker can have a monumental effect on the lives of others.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 22, 2022

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

...the disappointing part comes a bit too late for the film to recover from it.

Mar 16, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz) is a sewer worker in Nazi-occupied Lvov, Poland. When he finds a group of Jews hiding in the sewers, Leopold agrees to protect them from the Nazis in exchange for money, even though it could mean his death if they are found. Though he is solely motivated by cash at first, their experiences lead Leopold to adopt a different view of the people under his protection. When catastrophe strikes, Leopold is forced into a final act of courage.

Director: Agnieszka Holland
Executive Producer: Wojciech Danowski, David F. Shamoon, Dr. Carl Woebcken, Christoph Fisser, Anna Maria Zündel
Screenwriter: David F. Shamoon
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: The Film Works
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Nudity|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: Polish
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 12, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.0M

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