Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark Film Review

Brief plot outline

The first film review I did was on Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark (2010). It is directed by Troy Nixey and contains the genres; fantasy, horror and thriller. The plot of the film is that Sally is sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend Kim, where she discovers creatures in the basement who want to claim her as one of their own.  This follows the disappearance of the previous owner who was a famous painter, which they soon discover the creatures were responsible for.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?

The first scene in Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark which impressed me was when Mr Harris was attacked. This uses a variety of different horror conventions to fulfil the genre of the film while making the violence age appropriate. It’s also the first time the creatures are fully shown as violent characters. Slow editing montage is used at the beginning of the scene to build tension as the audience doesn't see the monsters directly, just the weapons moving towards Mr Harris. This is accompanied by close-ups of his face as he is expecting something to happen to him but doesn't know when. The low key lighting of the scene and the creepy location also adds to the eeriness of what is about to happen. Quick montage sequences are used throughout the scene to highlight everything that is happening to Mr Harris while not showing too much gore to the audience. This quick camera work also builds up the tension in the scene. During this there is parallel music playing which is made up of string instruments to build up the tension and the suspense of what’s happening. This matches the tempo of the scene and adds to the effect of Mr Harris getting attacked by the creatures. When he is attacked restricted narration is used to minimise the body horror, by the showing a silhouette of him on the wall when the creatures are on him, and he also has various implements sticking out of him. The lighting increases when Mr Harris is shown in close-ups pulling out the weapons. The use of a high expressionist angle as he is climbing the stairs emphasises how weak Mr Harris is at that point and how strong the creatures are even though he does survive.

The second scene that impressed me was when Sally gets trapped in the library and the creatures try to attack her again. She is placed straight away with a high expressionist angle on her to show her weak she is compared to the creatures as she is outnumbered. This is also used when she turns around and flashes her camera at the creatures to scare them away. Parallel music throughout builds up the tension and is loud at the end of the scene when Sally kills the creature between the bookcases to show that Sally has more power and courage then we thought. Lots of close-ups are used such as her feet, Sally exploring, her face with the camera when taking photos and the creatures in their entirety. This builds tension as she is trying to stop the creatures but we as an audience are waiting for something to happen to her. There are point of view shots of the creatures travelling towards her which allows the audience to sympathise with Sally as we see what is happening before she does. Low key lighting makes the scene dark which only brightens up when Sally flashes the camera to illuminate the creatures’ progress. Quick montage sequences are used towards the end of the scene when Sally is attacked and before that when the books start falling from the shelves to build the apprehension of the audience.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film making?

Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?

Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark is a typical psychological horror. It contains most of the generic conventions found in horror films but doesn't focus on any ideologies or context at any point within the film. This film focuses on characters, Mise-en-scene, sound, editing, cinematography and themes throughout. The use of these elements makes this film a reasonable psychological horror and contains hardly any gore which is good for audience’s who prefer jump scares to body horror. To start of the characters, fast moving/smart monsters are used who are child eating demons. These are smart because they use small knifes to attack Mr Harris (caretaker) in the basement, and Sally in the bathroom scene. They also whisper to Sally to trust them and set them free from their prison in the basement. The male hero is Mr Harris as he tries to block up the creatures entrance into the house but gets attacked doing so. The final girl is Kim who sacrifices herself to save Sally’s life. By her dying it can also be argued that she is a victim but the most obvious female victim is the servant at the beginning who has her teeth knocked out by her master.

Mise-en-scene is shown through the use of body horror when Mr Harris is getting attacked, when Kim at the end has the rope burn into her knee saving Sally and when Sally squishes the creature with her camera. Mr Harris getting attacked can also be used for restricted narration as no gore is shown, just his reaction to being harmed, and the final result of having the implements embedded in him is shown by a silhouette on the wall. The creepy location used is the basement of the old mansion where the pit that is the home of the creatures is located. Low key lighting is used in the basement and throughout the film when the creatures are about to attack as they don’t like light. Parallel music is used every time someone is attacked to build up the tension of the scene.

The use of editing is what makes this a good horror film. Quick montage sequences for the attacks builds up the tension and allows the audience to see everything that is happening in the scene. An example of this is when Mr Harris is attacked as the scene is fast paced and changes camera angle every second to show the creatures attacking him in different places. Slow editing montage is used to build up tension before the attacks take place to build up apprehension. Cinematography brings to the film lots of close-ups especially of the faces of the characters being attacked, of their wounds and the weapons being used. Expressionist angles are used with high angled shots when Sally and her dad are attacked, and Kim tripping down the stairs at the end, making them look weak. Point of view shots are used when Sally is climbing under the bed sheets when the creature is first seen which allows the audience to feel as sacred as she is.

The themes used are threat to yourself/family which is shown when a child is threatened throughout the film and Kim taking a protective role which leads to her own death. Loneliness/being isolated and trapped is shown at the end with being locked in the house and in the bathroom scene. The narrative of the film has an open ending as the creatures are waiting for the next people to come to the house to fall victims of them.

Which aspects of the film would you like to INCLUDE in your own trailer? Why?

There is a tracking shot at the beginning which goes through the house to the cause of the suffering in the basement. This provides a sense of location and setting and also shows the path to the cause of destruction and death which is seen throughout the film.  I like this scene because it is fast paced and it is revealing all of the important locations which allow the audience to engage with the film from the start.

I also like how it has a past and present to the film so we see that this threat isn't new and that other people have suffered which is then revealed to the audience in its entirety later on in the film. The audience also finds out that there will be a future with the creatures as the film has an open ending.

The restricted narration when Mr Harris is attacked in the basement, with the silhouette on the wall, gives a sense of what’s going to happen but not revealing too much of the plot to the audience. Not being able to see something happen is an important aspect of horror in my opinion as it plays on our natural instincts to react to what we see. So by not knowing exactly what is happening all the time will make the audience uneasy which will then make them want to find out what happened by finishing the film.

Which aspects of the film would you like to AVOID in your own trailer? Why?

I would avoid revealing the creatures or killer behind everything to make the trailer more psychologically appealing to the audience. This would prevent the best part of the film being revealed in the trailer but I might include a second of footage right at the end of the monster/killer so that it builds up tension for the audience and makes them want to see more.

I would also avoid revealing whether the final girl survives or not as it would ruin the film for the audience if they knew the ending from the trailer. If it was to be included it would decrease the suspense and inevitable made the film less enjoyable for the audience.

What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why?

Can you recreate this in your own film? How?

The library scene was the best aspect of the film as a lot happens in a short period of time and is effective in building suspense. It also allows the audience to sympathise with Sally as we can see how scared she really is. The books falling around Sally and how with every little sound she turns around and flashes her camera has the effect of building suspense. The low key lighting effectively allows the camera flashes to illuminate certain aspects of the scene which illustrates restricted narration. This could be recreated by someone standing behind a bookcase and pushing books out or having them attached to string. Books may not be used for my trailer but it’s the general idea of supernatural events that create the unsettling atmosphere.