Nefarious Films
short films review
the quiet darkness
Review by Renee Foulger
By Marc buhmann
Where to see it: http://rpmfilms.com/RPM%20FILMS/The%20Quiet%20Darkness.html
The Quiet Darkness
Young student Susan Lowan finds herself trapped in her flat and running out of time before they come for her. All lines of communication are down. The power is fading. There’s no way out. All Susan has is her video camera to record her last moments. You see her boyfriend Charlie disappeared two days ago – he had joined a cult – had preached like a crazy man about a parallel world- a dark world – full of shadows- then he vanished. So the darkness creeps in, the whisperings get louder and Susan unveils her story as she waits to be taken.
This film proves that something can be simple yet effective. Playing on our desire to glimpse something real. A moment caught on camera.
One camera angle, a very talented actress and effective lighting are all this film uses. And are definitely all it needs. The actress is thoroughly believable as her fear builds to a crescendo. The lighting creates the perfect atmosphere and the ending….. well the ending was perfect.
So what’s wrong with this film? The answer is simple. It’s just too long. There’s a limit to the length of time anyone’s interest can be sustained - about half way through I found myself wondering if the figure seen moving across the mirror was an accident or someone stumbling into shot - I didn’t particularly care to see the photo of Charlie- (You couldn’t really see it anyway). So by the second half of this film you may find yourself wishing they would just put her out of her misery and come for her sooner.
REVIEW UPDATE 17/2/07
Writer/director Marc Buhman has now made a revised cut of the film which at five minutes (half the film's original length) solves many of the problems mentioned above and in my opinion greatly enhances the impact and power of the film.
You can watch the new version as well as the longer version at RPM Films' website or by following this here nifty little link:
http://rpmfilms.com/RPM%20FILMS/The%20Quiet%20Darkness.html
- Matt
