D W
I honestly think this is the worst movie I have ever watched. It has this campy soundtrack which follows the characters around, switching from a happy melody of teenage lust to ominous at the first signs of danger. The movie was obviously made with a political motive. Displaying MAGA loving red necks as conspirators to bring down society. The acting is ok, but the plot is totally unbelievable and vacuous. 60 minutes of my life I will never recover.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
11/05/24
Full Review
NW B
At the beginning of Adam Deierling's romantic adventure drama "The Other Side of Darkness" we are presented with a cryptic warning about our complete dependence on the electricity grid- and then we are quickly whisked away into the small world of TJ (Maggie Callahan), a soon to be 16 year-old midwestern girl trying to hold down a car mechanic job in a male chauvinist workplace, which is compounded by the fact that her boss is also her sexually abusive foster dad. When a mysterious gift arrives in the mail, TJ suddenly has the means to escape her unhappy home with her spiky best friend, Hannah (Olivia Billings) and Hannah's geeky brother, Patrick (Drake Tobias) who tags along much to the displeasure of the two girls. As they drive deep into rural West Virginia, TJ discovers in herself a spirit of adventure, and when they finally track down the sender of the gift, her grandfather, Jack (Scott C. Davis), she realizes it is also a homecoming trip. In the first half of the movie, the ominous events in the outside world recede into the background as TJ bonds with Jack and vicariously reconnects with her deceased mother through a series of old-school cassette tapes, and an unlikely romance is kindled with Patrick, while the suburban Hannah struggles to adjust to country life. However, when the teenagers discover a box of munitions in the woods and then witness a power plant explode, they realize they have unwittingly come to the epicenter of a sinister plot to destroy America which TJ will soon realize her family is intimately involved in. Although some might find the premise far-fetched, the great performances of the 4 main actors make this film a lot of fun to watch and is quite moving at times. Visually, Deierling, who also produces, writes and edits, makes the most of Vinny Sisson's beautiful cinematography that really captures the beauty of rural West Virginia and makes excellent use of drones giving the film an epic feeling.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
04/25/23
Full Review
Lauren B
The Other Side of Darkness is a very layered, intriguing mystery/thriller film! I really enjoyed the narration at the beginning, setting up our reliance on electricity, and how without it, things can quickly turn sideways. The characters were all very realistic and I liked the lead actress a lot! She did a phenomenal job. The entire film really held my interest and kept me engaged. I thought the cinematography was excellent and also loved all of the music; it truly fit the story so well. Awesome job from the writer/director and the entire team!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
04/24/23
Full Review
Anne-Laure M
"The Other Side of Darkness" offers an original story, with several smaller stories within the main story. The dynamic between the 3 main characters (Patrick, TJ and Hannah) is refreshing. It's a perfect teenage adventure movie that takes us where we didn't expect to go! In spite of a lengthy ending with bewildering twists, this independent film is worth seeing. Special mention to the director/editor Adam Deierling, who did a great job of varying the shots, especially during the road trips. This combination coupled with the music brought a real visual dynamic to the story. Definitely worth watching!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/18/23
Full Review
Alec Y
This film was interesting - the slow burn storyline leads up to a payoff for both the plot and the characters. Nice cinematography and editing make for an intriguing opening and the use of aerial shots furthered the atmosphere of the story.
The multiple storylines make for an engaging view, but you must carefully follow the nuanced journeys of the characters in order to benefit from everything that the film has to offer.
In conclusion, "The Other Side of Darkness" does a good job at building subtle tension amidst a high concept plot. If you're looking for something that follows a format that is relatively different from other indie films, give it a watch.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/09/23
Full Review
Catherane S
Filmmaker Adam Deierling has made an ambitious film with many twists and turns which in the beginning looks to be a coming-of-age story, morphs into a road-adventure film, and then with some hints along the way turns into a thriller.
Newcomer Maggie Callahan shows great promise. She comports herself well as a girl who is ignorant of her background but, nonetheless, is spirited and has an inner strength.
Great camerawork here. The shots of the countryside were breathtaking. One of the great things about cinema is it gives the audience an opportunity to view other parts of our world that we might, otherwise, never see.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/08/23
Full Review
Read all reviews
>
