The Darkness

PG-13

Released May 13, 2016

1 hr. 33 min.

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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List

3%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

19%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Peter Taylor (Kevin Bacon), his wife Bronny and their two children return to Los Angeles after a fun-filled vacation to the Grand Canyon. Strange events soon start to plague the family, including young son Michael's increasingly erratic behavior. The Taylors learn that Michael brought back some mysterious rocks that he discovered inside a cave. Unfortunately, something followed them home as the clan now find themselves in a battle with a supernatural force that preys on their worst fears.

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Premiered Apr 11

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Critics Consensus

The Darkness clumsily relies on an assortment of genre tropes, leaving only the decidedly non-frightening ghost of superior horror films in its wake.

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Gaming U

Just so bad. Why mister bacon

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/24

Full Review

Alexandra

I fell asleep during this once. Probably because I can't stand stupid movies about dumb children. Not every horror movie has to have a kid in it just for the sake of throwing one into the plot.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/24

Full Review

kayliana f

it's about 53 minutes in until something even drastic happens. most shots are completely random and most of the scenes are so unnecessary. it just felt like the entire movie was just filler scenes with a few important ones.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Yasmim Alana V

This movie was one of shittiest movies I have ever watched so far.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/22

Full Review

JLyn P

I wish the director and writer could have done a better job. This movie was atrocious; every scary scene escalates from 1 to 10 in seconds, causing it to be confusing instead of spoking you. I was expecting Mr. Bacon to have a stronger character, but he is so weak that he gets lost in the rest of the confusion of the movie. If there were a negative rating, I would give it to this movie. Revise and retry.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/25/22

Full Review

Kyle M

From how much the so-called "fright fest" builds up, it only trigger questions rather than scares regarding the purposeful patterns of these overused tropes being presented, therefore ruining the genre's chills betrayed by their own gimmicks. This become an equivalent to a failed seance taken place in a non-haunted building with conjured tactics being flat with a very elliptical narrative by choppy transitions and irrationally energized performances treading through an utterly unoriginal discourse, plus an unforgivable scene drains any sort of waking enjoyment. The only affecting success the "scares" did dimensionally is ability to frighten the viewer with boredom, pleading for it to stop. (D+)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/17/22

Full Review

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Greg McLean

Director

Kevin Bacon

Peter Taylor

Radha Mitchell

Bronny Taylor

Lucy Fry

Stephanie Taylor

David Mazouz

Michael Taylor

Ming-Na Wen

Wendy

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The Darkness: Trailer 1

2:18

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Roxana Hadadi

Chesapeake Family Magazine

Blumhouse Productions releases one of its most forgettable films with The Darkness, a poorly thought out, thoroughly unsurprising horror movie.

Rated: 1/5

Aug 2, 2016

Full Review

Steve Davis

Austin Chronicle

A film woefully lacking in true fright.

Rated: 1.5/5

May 19, 2016

Full Review

Scott Tobias

Variety

McLean must have believed he was making John Cassavetes' "Poltergeist," but this odd fusion of psychodrama and supernatural hokum gets away from him.

May 14, 2016

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Even supernatural horror enthusiasts wont find much to cling to here.

Rated: 0.5/4

Apr 15, 2022

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

Just startingly, alarmingly inept

Jul 14, 2021

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

As uninspired a genre entry as even its generic title suggests, The Darkness can't muster the ability to entertain as a campy misfire or a formulaic thriller.

Rated: 1.5/5

Sep 30, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Peter Taylor (Kevin Bacon), his wife Bronny and their two children return to Los Angeles after a fun-filled vacation to the Grand Canyon. Strange events soon start to plague the family, including young son Michael's increasingly erratic behavior. The Taylors learn that Michael brought back some mysterious rocks that he discovered inside a cave. Unfortunately, something followed them home as the clan now find themselves in a battle with a supernatural force that preys on their worst fears.

Director: Greg McLean
Executive Producer: Greg McLean, Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno
Screenwriter: Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, Greg McLean
Distributor: High Top Releasing
Production Co: Blumhouse Productions, Emu Creek Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Sensuality|Some Disturbing Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.7M

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