During the early 2000’s, horror was on a mission to shake things up and keep audiences on the edge of their seats—literally. Gone were the days of predictable slasher flicks; this was an era where psychological scares, supernatural thrills, and mind-bending twists took center stage. In 2002, a film called Darkness decided to challenge its viewers with just that. Perhaps your house was a little too quiet or your lights flickered just a bit too often, or maybe your house was home to a cult practicing satanic rituals? This creepy flick stars Anna Paquin, who moves into a seemingly charming countryside home with her family—except this house has more than just creaky floors and drafty windows. It’s practically the poster child for “homes you definitely shouldn’t buy,” with a dark past that’s more twisted than a haunted house ride. As the shadows grow longer and the walls seem to close in, Regina realizes that her new home is hiding something far more sinister than a bad paint job. So, before you start screaming “get out of the house,” let’s revisit this forgotten horror flick, just make sure you’ve checked the corners of your own home before bed.
Before directing Darkness, Jaume Balagueró was primarily known for his work in the horror genre, particularly for his feature film debut Los Sin Nombre, which translates to The Nameless, in 1999. It was based on the novel of the same name by British author Ramsey Campbell and became a significant success in the European horror scene. The film is a dark, psychological horror-thriller that revolves around a mother’s search for her missing daughter and her encounter with a mysterious cult and was praised for its intense atmosphere, disturbing imagery, as well as Balageuro’s ability to craft a chilling narrative, earning him several awards, including Best Film at the Fantafestival and Fantasia International Film Festival.
Balagueró’s work on Los Sin Nombre established him as a rising talent in horror. His style was characterized by a focus on mood and atmosphere, creating a sense of dread that lingered with audiences. This success paved the way for him to take on larger projects, leading to his involvement with Darkness.
The production history of Darkness is as complex and shadowy as the film itself. Darkness was one of the early films produced under Filmax International, a Spanish production company that sought to elevate the profile of Spanish horror globally.
Originally, Balaguero tried to get Natalie Portman as the lead, but the part eventually went to Anna Paquin. Fresh off her role as Rogue in X-Men, brought star power and a proven ability to handle complex, emotionally charged roles, making her a natural fit for the film’s protagonist who must unravel the terrifying mysteries of her new home. Her presence was also intended to enhance the film’s marketability, especially in the U.S. Alongside Paquin, the filmmakers cast Lena Olin. Her ability to convey nuanced emotions and her experience with intense, dramatic roles made her ideal for the part. Iain Glen, known for his versatility and intensity, added another layer of complexity to the family dynamics. The supporting cast, including Giancarlo Giannini as the mysterious grandfather.
The movie was shot largely in Spain, with some exterior scenes filmed in Barcelona and its surrounding areas. Despite being a Spanish production, Darkness was conceived as an English-language film to maximize its international appeal.
Production faced several challenges, particularly in balancing the film’s artistic vision with its commercial potential. As stated before, the movie’s dark and complex narrative was a departure from the more straightforward horror films.This posed difficulties in editing, which was reported as tumultuous.
Darkness premiered in Spain on October 3, 2002 and had its wide release in the country on October 11. The film was accepted for its atmospheric tension and the way it incorporated elements of psychological horror with a supernatural twist. Spanish audiences were familiar with Balagueró’s style, and many were drawn to the film’s dark narrative and its production values. However, the reception was somewhat mixed. While some praised the film’s mood and suspense, others felt that the movie didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by his previous work. There was also some critique regarding the film’s pacing and its somewhat convoluted plot, which left some viewers feeling that it lacked coherence. Additionally, the decision to make the film in English was a double-edged sword; while it broadened the potential audience, it also led to some criticism from those who felt that the film lost a bit of its authenticity by not being in Spanish.
In October of 2003, Filmax sold U.S. distribution rights for Darkness and Los Sin Nombre, to Miramax Films and sat on the shelf for nearly two years, during which time it underwent significant re-editing. These changes included reducing the film’s runtime, toning down some of its more disturbing elements, and streamlining the narrative to make it more straightforward for audiences.
Darkness premiered in the U.S. on December 25, 2004 through Miramax’s Dimension Films. Instead of releasing it as an R rated film, it would be released as PG-13. Despite these efforts, Darkness faced further setbacks. Its U.S. release was poorly timed, coming out during the busy holiday season when it faced stiff competition from big-budget blockbusters. On it’s first week it opened in 7th place, behind newcomers Meet The Fockers and Fat Albert, but surprisingly beat out The Phantom of the Opera’s opening in the top 10. The film would gross around $6 million on its Christmas opening weekend. It stayed in the top 10 for one more week before dropping out. Darkness would finish with $22 million domestically and $11 million internationally making for a worldwide total of $33 million.
Critics weren’t too kind. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a rating of 5% and critics conesus stating: “Yet another predictable variation on the hoary old haunted-house movie, Darkness is an illogical, portentous mess. While most didn’t enjoy it, companies like Variety praised it for its cinematography but criticized the script saying it lacked coherence and scenes didn’t feel connected.
Darkness was released on DVD and VHS on April 26, 2005. In the early 2000’s, lots of films would distribute two types of DVD’s. There would be the theatrical cut DVD and the Unrated DVD. The unrated version had the original R rated cut with the run time of 102 minutes as well as a quick bonus feature for behind the scenes of the film. The PG-13 release not only had a different color on the case, but was only displayed in Full screen Viewing Aspect Ratio. Why the studio did this I have no idea. In 2012, Miramax released the film on Blu-ray with the extended cut. This release would showcase an upscaled high definition version of the film. It didn’t release with any new bonus content, just the same behind the scenes featurette as the DVD, “Darkness Illuminated”. In May 2024, the good people at Shout Factory re-released the film on Blu-ray. For this release, the disc housed both Unrated and Theatrical cuts as well as the same bonus feature as previous releases.
One of the film’s most significant strengths is its atmospheric tension. The house itself becomes a character in the film and contributes to a sense of dread. The film’s use of shadows and eerie sound effects heightens the sense of suspense and unease, making it effective at generating scares. When I was watching this at home, with my wireless headphones, I felt my heart racing and was genuinely scared at certain points in the film.
The premise is another strong point. While the cursed house idea sounds like it’s copying The Amityville Horror, it stands on its own by providing ground for both supernatural and psychological horror. The film delves into ideas of family secrets, trauma, and the haunting impact of past events, offering more depth than a typical haunted house story. But the biggest standout lies within its lead star… Anna Paquin. She brings a level of emotional depth and vulnerability to her role and is both compelling and convincing, providing a strong anchor for the film’s plot.
But with every strength, there are some problems with the film. One of the major issues is the film’s plot. This only spans to the original cut. While I’ve only seen the longer version, which is the easily accessible cut to view, the film underwent significant re-editing, which resulted in pacing issues and a disjointed narrative. Character development, extended backstory, some subplots and climatic scenes all had a dramatic change.
The film also suffers from familiar horror tropes and clichés. As stated earlier, a cursed house is intriguing, but it feels tired and predictable. The reveal of certain characters and their backstories can be seen coming from a mile away. Character development is another area where Darkness struggles. We are excluding Anna Paquin from this as the film’s supporting characters are somewhat underdeveloped. The interactions between characters can feel underdeveloped and generic whereas the family feels like they lack any emotional depth, other than one character’s backstory.
I do give high praise for the twist at the end of the film. Without spoiling anything, it’s pretty engaging and thought provoking. I do wish we could have seen what happens after things are revealed and given more run time to that, but alas I’ll accept it for it is.
In conclusion, Darkness is a film that is celebrated for its atmospheric tension and effective use of eerie visuals and sound design to create a hauntingly claustrophobic environment. The film’s premise, which delves into the supernatural curse of a family’s new home, offers a rich foundation for psychological and supernatural horror, setting it apart from more conventional types of films.
Anna Paquin’s stands out but the film is also marked by several issues, including underdeveloped characters, inconsistent motivations, and a convoluted narrative, which affected the theatrical cut.
Despite this, I still enjoyed the film. Its suspense and tension made for some truly great moments that are packed into this film. I would have liked more backstory on the forces behind everything and another five minutes at the end when everything is revealed, but beggars can’t be choosers. Can someone though release a complete version of this film on Blu-ray? I just want some more special features and behind the scenes of how this film was brought to light…hell, even a commentary by Balaguero explaining the process in detail would be great! Speaking of Balaguero, he would have some great success with the REC films. He directed three of the four films. Screen Gems even made a remake of it in 2008 under the title Quarantine.
Overall, Darkness serves as a memorable entry in early 2000’s horror, demonstrating both the potential and pitfalls of filmmaking as well as leaving a lasting impression with its chilling atmosphere and thought-provoking finale.
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Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/darkness-2002-revisited/
