jswindter01
...a fresh take on the now, very stale genre of horror!I know there seem to be many who do not at all believe the "gimmick" that's used in the movie, "Murder in the Dark". I specifically use the word "gimmick" due to that being the most common of the negative descriptors used by critics in speaking of what this set of writers/directors bravely, dared to use in making this little horror flick.I. personally, DO believe that this crew/cast actually did try this daring feat of something totally new, and unheard of in the making of ANY movie, much less a genre piece of horror. I absolutely believe that these actors/actresses were led in blind and thereby forced to rely on their own gut feelings, and intuition, on how to proceed forward throughout the entire filming of this movie..and for me, the end result was great! It was completely grounded in reality, which allows the viewer to feel the unease, and even somewhat "feel" the fear that naturally arises from the unknown..and IMO, these actors/actresses were every bit in the thick of the thick of "the unknown"..the who?..the what?..the when, and how?..each of the scenes were going to play out?.. as well as deciphering where each of the scenes were going to fit.. what they would mean..and from there what it would "equal" in compiling and piecing together the proverbial puzzle of the "big picture", as a whole, in what would form the cohesive plot of the movie.I dug it, and I very much appreciate the different route this crew/cast dared to take in making this movie.
dcarsonhagy
"Murder in the Dark" is a film about some vacationing friends descending upon a ruin of some sort. During their first overnight stay, they all get a little smashed and decide to play a game called "Murder in the Dark." What's starts off as innocuous fun turns very deadly. I ask anyone who watches this film to be sure to watch until the end. Much is revealed with interviews from the directors, producers, and the actors themselves. The viewer will find out that this "movie" was actually more a play than a film because the actors were NEVER allowed access to the script--if there WAS one. This was an experiment by the directors to allow the actors the chance to make their own movie. The majority of dialogue was improvisation, which amazed me. The dialogue of the cast actually determined who would live and who would die. Perhaps that's why this installment seemed a little fresher than most. I will not give away any further plot points, but I will say an accidental photo reveals what is happening to the cast.The movie is rated "R" for violence and language.
InDyingArms
A bunch of friends are heading to a ruin in the country, of which where they'll camp out for their vacation. They're adventure soon, however, turns for the absolute worse as they're friends, one by one get picked off by someone amongst themselves. The one thing they now must do is find out who it can be, and stop them. I personally think the plot was intriguing for what it was. You get the original, classic feelings from past murder mystery film plots, only this time in a more interesting, more unique setting. I found it extremely interesting how the film took a turn toward having the murder mystery horror plot take place in a secluded, abandoned environment. You have all these characters in one desolate environment where nobody really ever goes, around an area where barely anyone even lives. I found the given characters to be a bit stale. At Least how they were executed. Don't get me wrong, they weren't bad, but the film dose little, to no character development, and we don't exactly get to know anything important of these characters. At points they seemed just to be there, to be there. They're acting, actually, was quite good. I felt as if these actors, even with not much depth, played out their characters well, and delivered they're sequences of fright, terror, and suspense in a solid matter. The twist this film delivers was a hard hit. It felt as if we didn't exactly see it coming, at the same time, when it hits, we get that feeling to where we could of told who it was, when the twist finally unleashed, if that makes sense. The cinematography in this movie, I feel as if I should review a bit. It wasn't the best, in all honesty, there were parts the camera zoomed in way too much, other parts where shots seemed blurred, others where you only see half the characters faces, and some where it's being shaken around like some found footage film. I can understand this film wasn't too high of budget, but I felt as if the problem could have easily been avoided. Lastly, the gore in this movie I felt was great for what we got. We get some pretty good gore throughout the film, mostly around the end. In the end, this wasn't the strongest "8 films to die for" installment, but does it make this film bad? Absolutely not. Despite its lack of character depth, slight clichés, and not so great cinematography, this film was enjoyable. The acting was great, and even though the characters aren't expressed with depth, they hold grip, and come out pretty decently. The gore in the film was pretty solid for what it was, giving us some scenes with great gore. The plot was classic - like, delivering a solid, and actually quite suspenseful murder mystery themed horror film; The suspense in the film was solid, white- knuckled tension. In conclusion, the film lacked a bit, but with it's pro's defeating it's cons, it turned itself into a pretty solid little horror flick. I'd honestly recommend it, even though this may not be Afterdarks best installment for 2015.
