THE DARK AND THE WICKED (2020) EVIL SAVORING ANGUISH. MOVIE REVIEW

Deathbed with a spin.

Caring for a loved one in a convalescent state is an act of love. Relatives surrounding the bed of the sick familiar to ensure his health in those his possible last moments is hard and exhausting. The emotional and physical wear and tear inherent in this situation are considerable. Now add to this bleak situation a demonic presence and that is what brings us The Dark and the Wicked, the latest film by director Bryan Bertino.

Sickness and a doomed return.

On a remote farm, the elderly father of the family is bedridden and dying, cared only for by his wife and a nurse. His children Louise and Michael return to help the situation, even though his mother did not want them to. That night, the mother disappears. The next morning they find her body hanging in the barn. She apparently committed suicide during the night. Going through her things, the brothers find their mother’s diary. Narrating the last days, in her words, they are surprised with a terrifying revelation. A demonic being has made his presence on the farm and wants to take over the soul of his dying father.

Slow and dark agony.

Bertino in his fourth job as a director brings us a story that leans more towards a constant sense of permanent anguish than jump scares. Although he resorts to the occasional shock scenes, he focuses more on how the devil is mentally torturing the characters, causing them to gradually fall into despair and hopelessness. It is a playground for the devil. Like the cat playing with a mouse. Satan could have eliminated members of the Straker family at any time. But no. He rejoices in their agony and suffering. When the two brothers arrive, it means that he has two more new toys to play with, to the detriment of their mother

Bleak atmosphere and great lead.

The Dark and the Wicked is moody and Bertino’s camera work is sober. This gives the whole narrative a straightforward and dry sense. Also, we can hardly observe any kind of vivid color in the entire film. Even when it is daytime, the color correction is made to make the sunlight look bleak. The farm and all its surroundings look as if any type of cheerfulness has been drained out of it. The use of sound is very effective. We can constantly hear the steady blow of the wind, which enhances the feeling of solitude and isolation of the farm. Music is used economically, and sometimes the score can be heard along with the wind. In general, a good job is made in all the audiovisual aspects to achieve the tetric and desolate atmosphere of the film.

Marin Ireland, who plays Louise, pulls off an excellent performance. She shows us how her character is gradually falling into deeper anguish, but at the same time with enough temperance to continue facing the inexplicable events that are happening around her and visible compassion for her father.

Focuses on «now» and not «why».

The dialogues are convincing and the cast in general delivers the lines realistically. What the story fails to achieve is that we do not feel empathetic with the characters. We don’t know why the brothers had apparently been estranged from their elderly parents for a long time. We know nothing about the father’s story, whether he was a good or bad person, to justify why he has been «chosen». Neither why the demon chose to torture this family in particular. The story just presents us with the here and now, and that weakens the impact of the whole narrative.

Solid portrayal of angst

The Dark and the Wicked gives us a story that will have the viewer in a constant state of anguish. There are some good scary scenes, from the most subtle ones where only sounds and shadows play in the background to the most explicit ones with direct and chilling confrontations. A desolate environment perfectly constructed employing adequate use of audiovisual resources and good performances, although with a shallow story. For fans of horror stories who like continuous tension and not just the occasional jump scare.

Delirium Score