Dark CountryThomas Jane and Ron Perlman were pretty much all I needed to know about this film to get me interested in it, even more after seeing it was also Jane’s directorial debut. Other than that, I was clueless as to what “Dark Country” was about. It’s good to randomly pick a flick now and then, just out of the blue. It may just surprise you, like “Dark Country” did me – and pleasantly, I might add.
First off, let me say this is certainly a wicked flick. It started with a narrative by Dick (Jane’s character) waking up with in a room with a blonde beauty. The couple apparently just got married after a very short, maybe even a one-day relationship. They are headed to Sedona for their honeymoon, and have to drive across the desert at night. They get lost, and stumble upon an injured man on the side of the road. He’s all disfigured so they don’t recognize him, but it seems he knows them. And it only gets weirder from here.
At first I thought I’m in for another noir, which would make three in a row for me (my last two reviews being “Jack Says” and “Jack Said”). Then it starts getting creepy, but all in the realm of reality, making it a thriller. And then, you’re half way in and it transforms into a horror. The transitions are very well blended in and it may pass some time before you realize you’re no longer watching a thriller, but a horror. To be fair, let’s categorize it as noir horror thriller.
There’s a 99% percent chance it’ll just pass you by. It didn't even have an obscure extra-limited theatrical run and headed directly to DVD, soon to be forgotten because of the shinier and more advertised blockbusters coming right out of Hollywood’s generic horror-machine (re)maker – just look at your local theater program ‘cause at least 7 out of 10 films are lame-ass generic “horrors” made for teens.
“Dark Country” is better than that. It’s quite original, actually. True originality does not exist anymore, though, and of course bits and pieces of this film were already seen in others. Now, if I didn’t know better I’d swear this was an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. It has his style all over the place. Especially if you read “Desperation”, and seen the film where Ron Perlman also plays a sheriff. Maybe King’s works influenced the screenwriter, which is not a bad role model to look up to.
The visual style, the photography and specifically the lightning won me over from the very beginning, giving the film a surreal look. I wasn’t really surprised when I saw Tim Bradstreet credited as the visual consultant. He’s the one that does the covers for “The Punisher MAX” comic book series. There's also a in-film reference/easter egg concerning him. Try to spot it. And take a cookie as a reward if you succeed.
On the other hand, “Dark Country” is too mysterious for its own good. You’ll get the basic plot. There’s not much going on because it happens in a desert, by night, and has 4 characters in total. The consequences are quite easy to pick out, but you’ll be busting your brains over the causes. And there is no clear answer given, and pretty much everything regarding why the story happened is open to subjective interpretation. You have to read between the lines, but the problem is there's more of the between than the actual lines. And that’s the only real flaw I can think of.
Thomas Jane pointed out he wasn’t happy the studio launched it directly to DVD, and furthermore stated the cut we’re presented with is far from what he envisioned. And I doubt we’ll see a director’s cut in the future.
All said and done, I liked it a lot and found it quite refreshing, especially when I’ve pretty much given up on modern horrors. Highly recommended!
Rating: 8/10
- review by Ventilation Shaft
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