A Dark Song
| A Dark Song | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Liam Gavin |
| Written by | Liam Gavin |
| Starring |
Steve Oram Catherine Walker |
| Music by | Ray Harman |
| Cinematography | Cathal Watters |
| Distributed by | IFC Midnight[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
A Dark Song is a 2016 Irish independent horror film, written and directed by Liam Gavin and starring Steve Oram and Catherine Walker. It was released to select theatres and digital streaming platforms on 28 April 2017. It is Gavin's directorial debut and has received a largely positive critical response.
Plot
Sophia (Catherine Walker) is a middle-aged British woman grieving the death of her murdered son, seven-year-old Jack, who was abducted by a group of teenagers for a cult ritual. She rents a house in rural Wales and hires occultist Joseph Solomon (Steve Oram) to perform the rite detailed in the "Abramelin", a months-long, European, Kabbalistic grimoire used to summon one's guardian angel.[2]
Sophia's goal is to enlist the help of her angel in speaking with her dead son and exacting revenge upon his killers. However, Solomon is short tempered and Sophia quickly becomes frustrated when she concludes the grueling ritual isn't working. This tension culminates in a shoving match where Solomon accidentally falls on a large kitchen knife, sustaining a serious injury. Sophia insists that he seek medical attention but Solomon is adamant that neither can leave before completion of the ritual or they will be trapped in the house forever.
Within days, Solomon's wound becomes infected and he dies in his sleep. Sophia attempts to leave on foot after her car won't start but is horrified to discover, after walking a lengthy distance, that she has arrived at the same rented house she shared with Solomon. She re-enters to discover demon-like beings have physically manifested themselves and have claimed possession of Solomon's body. They restrain Sophia and begin torturing her by cutting off one of her fingers. Sophia then utters the words "I'm sorry" and is able to break free of the demons.
She walks into a room filled with intense light to discover her guardian angel waiting for her. The angel says something inaudible. Sophia then asks her angel for the power to forgive. Afterward, Sophia is able to leave the house. Upon leaving, she submerges Solomon's body in a nearby lake and later drives away.
Cast
- Steve Oram – Joseph Solomon
- Catherine Walker – Sophia Howard
- Mark Huberman – Neil Hughes
- Susan Loughnane – Victoria Howard
Release
A Dark Song premiered 8 July 2016 at the Galway Film Fleadh in Ireland, and was shown at the 2016 Fantastic Fest, the 2016 BFI London Film Festival and the 2016 Boston Underground Film Festival. It was released on 28 April 2017 in select theatres, video on demand and via digital streaming platforms.
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews.[3] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 89% approval rating based on 28 reviews.[4]
Tara Brady of The Irish Times called it a "a nifty, novel Irish horror."[2] Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film is a "classy effort throughout, from cinematographer Cathal Watters' beautiful vistas of the rugged Welsh landscape to Ray Harman's spare, brooding, dread-filled score. Oram's typically sour, surly, slyly comic performance also grounds the plot in a grubby realism that serves its more fantastical elements well."[5] Haleigh Foutch of Collider.com wrote, "A Dark Song spins many webs of mystery and keeps you puzzling out every mystery up until the audacious ending you definitely won't see coming."[6]
Scott Weinberg of Nerdist commented that the film's underlying themes pushed it well beyond the horror genre. He wrote, "Two complete strangers cutting themselves off from the world inside of a dilapidated mansion? That's already a movie I want to see. But once A Dark Song starts delving into issues like love, loss, faith, and the natural human reaction to sudden tragedy, that's when it blossoms from a novel concept to a truly powerful piece of genre filmmaking."[7]
References
- ↑ Collis, Clark (29 March 2017). "'A Dark Song' Trailer Casts a Very Spooky Spell". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- 1 2 Brady, Tara (5 April 2017). "A Dark Song review: a nifty, novel Irish horror". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ↑ Barna, Ben (30 March 2017). "Will 'A Dark Song' Be This Year's Horror Sensation?". Nylon. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ↑ "A Dark Song (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ↑ Dalton, Stephen (31 October 2016). "'A Dark Song': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ↑ Foutch, Haleigh (29 March 2017). "'A Dark Song' Trailer Delivers a Black Magic Head Trip". Collider.com. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ↑ Weinberg, Scott (30 April 2017). "Grief Battles Faith in the Resoundingly Creepy A DARK SONG (Review)". Nerdist. Retrieved 13 May 2017.