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 Darkness Falls (2003)Rated: PG-13 for terror and horror images, and brief language. Runtime: 85 mins. Director: Jonathan Liebesman Writer: Joseph Harris (story); John Fasano (screenplay). Cast: Chaney Kley; Emma Caulfield....complete cast Genre: Horror Tagline: Every legend has its dark side. Memorable Quote: "I see you....bitch!"
What an intriguing premise! Too bad the film is missing so many of the basic elements of good filmmaking however. You know, the little things...like good acting, creative dialogue, character development, lighting, plot, plausibility, continuity, etc. After the first ten minutes, which were actually quite frightening, Darkness Falls becomes so hollow and absurd I found myself actually counting its inadequacies and wondering how on earth this thing ever saw the light of day. The story of Matilda the Tooth Fairy quickly jumps to modern day, as we see young Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley) survive an attack by the tooth fairy that viciously kills his mother. This sequence is the best of the entire movie. Director Jonathan Liebesman and screenwriter John Fasano tap the root of an innate sense harbored by all parents. I cringed at seeing the terror on the face of a little boy who is afraid of the dark. Watching him see his worst fears come to life was a very effective means of getting my attention. After witnessing the death of his mother, Kyle, silent and sullen-faced, is hauled away in the back of a police car. Jump to twelve years later as the now grown Kyle's (Chaney Kley) childhood sweetheart, Caitlin (Emma Caulfield), enlists his help to care for her young brother Michael (Lee Cormie) who, like Kyle, experiences night terrors and is afraid of the dark. Kyle agrees to return to Darkness Falls, but not without his knapsack full to the brim with flashlights of all sizes and styles. Doctors insist that the evil Tooth Fairy is all in Michael's head, but the entire town learns differently as the body count begins to rise. The main problem with this story, and a major shortcoming of any movie that wants to be scary, is the lack of a connection by the viewer to the characters. Liebesman never gives us a chance to get to know anyone, especially Kyle, so we don't care what happens to them? The movie totals out at a paltry 83 minutes, so why not add another ten or fifteen minutes of runtime and spend a bit more time with the characters? Note to the director: a little insight into their background and personality would garner a lot more terror for the buck. Darkness Falls starts out as a stylishly captivating nightmare that promises a smart story and a scary ride. But after about the first ten minutes, it becomes a tawdry teen horror flick with a weak script, cheap scare tactics and abysmal dialogue. If you don't believe me about the dialogue, get a load of this: as our main characters encounter the Tooth Fairy, a police officer asks Kyle if he thinks she is going to kill everyone. Kyle's response..."yeah, probably". Good stuff, huh? Frank Wilkins Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 2.40:1; Closed Captioned. Packaging: Amaray; Picture Disc; 1 Disc; 1-Sided disc(s); Layers: dual
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