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      The Darkest Hour

      2011, Sci-fi/Action, 1h 29m

      61 Reviews 25,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      Devoid of believable characters or convincing visual effects, this may be The Darkest Hour for the careers of all involved. Read critic reviews

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      Movie Info

      Young entrepreneurs Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella) meet stranded travelers Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor) at a hot Moscow nightclub. Their whole world changes in an instant when an alien attack devastates the city and everything goes dark. Joined by a Swedish businessman (Joel Kinnaman), the youths emerge from hiding days later and must somehow fight back against a nearly invisible enemy that could find and disintegrate them at any moment.

      • Rating: PG-13 (Some Language|Sci-Fi Action Violence)

      • Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Mystery & thriller, Adventure, Horror

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Chris Gorak

      • Producer: Tom Jacobson, Timur Bekmambetov

      • Writer: Jon Spaihts

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $21.4M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Summit Entertainment

      • Production Co: Summit Entertainment, Jacobson Company, New Regency Pictures, Bazelevs Production

      • Sound Mix: Dolby

      Cast & Crew

      News & Interviews for The Darkest Hour

      Critic Reviews for The Darkest Hour

      Audience Reviews for The Darkest Hour

      • Jan 15, 2014

        It's not that bad. I mean the leads are really good actors and the suspense was really there. Not knowing who the invisible aliens were going to kill next and all. Mmm, although the whole invisible aliens sounds like a cop-out, it really comes out quite interesting. That is until you listen to what these actors are saying...man, talk about a really crappy script and sub-par co-stars. Seriously if this had been better developed it could have been a great sci-fi flick. That script is really just what brings down this whole thing for sure.

        Super Reviewer
      • Apr 22, 2013

        In "The Darkest Hour," Sean(Emile Hirsch) accompanies his friend Ben(Max Minghella) to Moscow for moral support for a business deal. However, that is not going to be enough when they find out Skylar(Joel Kinnaman) has usurped Ben's idea. As consolation, the friends decide to go to a nightclub to drown their sorrows where they meet up with Natalie(Olivia Thirlby) and Anne(Rachael Taylor), also from out of town. And that's when the lights go out, followed by the light show which quickly turns deadly, forcing the survivors underground until they come up for air a couple of days later. Outside of one great speech of what disaster brings out in people(entirely self-serving in any case), pleas of international cooperation and the unique setting of Moscow, there is really nothing in "The Darkest Hour" that we have not seen before, except for maybe an appreciation for beginner physics.(Seriously, if I learned anything from "Doctor Who" over the years, it is to always wear sensible shoes in case of alien invasion.) That's not to mention all the indistinct character types running around madly. That just probably proves that in case of an extinction level event, it just comes down to location, location and location. And I have seen Emile Hirsch do much better work elsewhere and Olivia Thirlby(having just been named to The Guardian's Top 25 character actors list, ahead of Danny Trejo) simply deserves better.

        walter m Super Reviewer
      • Aug 20, 2012

        Another film to file under "The trailer made it look good". In truth the idea wasn't so bad, a different version to War of the worlds would be one way to describe it. It had big ideas but unfortunately the CGI and acting didn't match the ambition. Some of the CGI for the aliens later on look more like an old Xbox game, and not on the 360! The story and script start to turn rather silly half way through. It made Skyline look rather good. Although it was nice to Rachael Taylor back in a main stream film.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jul 12, 2012

        Chris Gorak does what he can with <i>The Darkest Hour</i>, but unfortunately it isn't enough.<p>The story runs a tad over 80 minutes, and yet it somehow feels like there isn't enough to fill that time. The first 15 minutes is complete amateur hour, as it tries to build characters and chemistry unsuccessfully. With a snap of the fingers the film does a 180 and becomes a full blown sci-fi thriller, only without the thrills.</p><p>The visuals are hit and miss. The disintegration effects are solid. Some of the other elements, not so much.</p><p>Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, and Rachael Taylor start the film off and they aren't that impressive. It's mostly due to their characters and the writing. Things do improve as the film goes on as crummy characters are replaced with ones that are slightly better in the second half.</p><p><i>The Darkest Hour</i> doesn't have much to back it up and probably should remain in the dark.</p>

        Super Reviewer

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