“Darkness” (2002, but released in 2004) might’ve been a victim of bad timing. It’s not a widely respected or even remembered film. But a decade later, films like “Sinister,” “Insidious,” “The Conjuring” and “Hereditary” would be lauded for doing similar things.
Setting the mood
Director/co-writer Jaume Balagueró hits a sweet spot wherein “Darkness” is deliberately artistic, yet the plot is compelling and the personalities keep us on edge.
Almost every shot in the Spanish countryside house – newly inhabited by an American family — is framed through doorways. We see mundane activities (such as dinner preparation) in the middle third of the screen, and the right and left sides get increasingly dark toward the edges.
“Darkness” (2002)
Director: Jaume Balagueró
Writers: Jaume Balagueró, Fernando de Felipe
Stars: Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, Iain Glen
In the shadows, Balagueró positions silhouettes of child ghosts – with increasing frequency as the story goes forward. The trick of hiding ghosts in nooks and crannies – thus subconsciously increasing a viewer’s tension – would later be mastered by TV’s “The Haunting of Hill House.”
In another effective tactic, editor Luis de la Madrid shows normal activities (the son drawing with colored pencils, the daughter drying her hair) amid flickering lights from the unreliable electricity.
It’s always nighttime or extremely overcast in “Darkness,” and the theme is enhanced by an upcoming eclipse that could factor into the haunting. Shots of the backyard swing set being drenched in a nighttime rainstorm further emphasize the encroaching threat.
And our heroine, Anna Paquin’s teenage Reggie, is often wet: swimming for her school team, bathing, caught in the rain. As viewers, we desire dryness and safety. When we get that, it’s a relief – but always a short one.
Balagueró’s balance
Balagueró’s film is one of balance. Precise framing balanced with the chaos of the ghost world. Homey activities balanced with a haunted house. A dry interior balanced with rain. Wide-angle shots balanced with extreme close-ups. Warmth balanced with coldness.
The actors help him achieve this. They are believable as a family (in looks, Lena Olin and Paquin are spot-on mother-daughter casting). Everyone has a slightly different accent, but it’s plausible given the mixture of heritages.
Yet frustrations with work, health issues and the international relocation seep in. Mother Maria and father Mark (Iain Glen) are just a bit off.
This leaves Paquin’s Reggie as the shoulder to cry on for younger brother Paul (Stephan Enquist), who – as always with little kids in horror films – is the one most attuned to the spirit world.
With her expressive face, Paquin is an ideal lead. Aside from small roles in “Trick ’r Treat” and “Scream 4,” “Darkness” is her only horror film, which is surprising. Her starring role in “True Blood” is perhaps why I think of her as a genre actress.
A dark ending
I suspect the film’s ending draws mixed reactions. It leaves a viewer cold, and it’s a matter of taste whether that’s good or bad. Our final impression is one of defeat, but “Darkness” doesn’t earn a fatalistic tone as much as, say, “Midsommar.”
Granted, I watched the 88-minute PG-13 version. There’s also a 102-minute unrated cut that slightly expands on Reggie’s relationship with boyfriend Carlos (Fele Martinez).
Even in the short cut, I find the build-up is gripping as it uses title cards for days of the week, spending more screen time on each successive day. It’s as if Balagueró is calibrating an increasing percentage of scares for each day.
Indeed, a good chunk of “Darkness” is devoted to deliberately building a mood. Many story points get clarified in the final act; it’s a mystery of omission more so than a clue-driven case.
How much you enjoy Balagueró’s craftsmanship will determine whether you like this unheralded piece of multi-national horror.