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Maria Bello, Sean Bean, Maurice Roëves, Sophie Stuckey, Abigail Stone ... see more see more... , Richard Elfyn , Casper Harvey

Hollywood success d'estimes Maria Bello (Payback, Duets) and Sean Bean (Troy) team up for the 2006 direct-to-video horror opus The Dark - a gothic tale of supernatural terror with echoes of Orpheus an... read more read more...d Eurydice. When Manhattanite divorcee Adelle (Bello) and her young daughter, Sarah (Sophie Stuckey) sojourn to a farm newly purchased by Sarah's dad, James (Bean) on the Welsh coast, an unspeakable tragedy befalls everyone: Sarah drowns. Or, so it appears. For soon, Adelle uncovers a strange history behind the property, entrenched in Welsh mythology. A half-century prior, a gaggle of schoolgirls committed mass hara-kiri on the Welsh cliff behind the farm. One of the victims, Ebril (Abigail Stone) makes a startling reappearance and warns Adelle that Sarah has been abducted and dragged to Annwyn, the Welsh Hades. Now, Adelle and James must team up to rescue the young girl - before she is completely extinguished. John Fawcett (Ginger Snaps) directs. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Flixster Users

39% liked it

7,196 ratings

Critics

33% liked it

9 critics

R, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: John Fawcett

Release Date: December 31, 2004

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DVD Release Date: April 11, 2006

Stats: 483 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (483)


  • October 1, 2009
    Bit of a rip off really. A Welsh version of the Ring/ Dark Water. That said, the visuals and Maria Bello make it worth a watch. The child is annoying and quite frankly this has got to be Sean Bean's easiest job ever! Nothing special.
  • October 25, 2008
    A mysterious young girl who supposedly died 50 years previously appears at the same time another is feared drowned and her mother is convinced she is somehow responsible. I had never heard of this film before, and with stars Maria Bello and Sean Bean who, without wishing to appea... read morer unkind, are firmly rooted in the B-list, I wasn't expecting much. But I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The Welsh setting and story based in local folklore reminded me very much of the old Hammer horrors of their heyday, which is married with stylish visuals obviously influenced by J horror. The result is a very M. Night Shyamalan type affair but it's actually done pretty well. I thought the twist ending was guilty of being a little too try hard but it didn't offend me and it's rather better than the similar The Orphanage, and a hell of a lot better than the shockingly over-rated The Others. And it's certainly a lot more atmospheric and original than 99% of other contemporary horror films. Not bad at all.
  • November 14, 2007
    Not a Bad Film by far, I have seen a lot worst, Ending a little strange, I wouldn't pay a large sum of Money to see this movie, Netflix or a Pawn Shop, Found mine for $2.00 and will addit to my collection.
  • July 3, 2007
    The biggest problem with this film was that it was very dark. It wasn't overly scary or dark in subject matter considering it was set half in the world of Welsh mythology and ghosties but it was filmed very darkly so it was hard to make a lot of it out. A second problem is that i... read moret's more than a bit slow and turgid. Although a couple of attempts are made at scary scenes, they just don't amount to anything.
  • June 4, 2007
    A chilling little horror film that contains shades of such classics as The Wicker Man, Don't Look Now, The Changeling etc. The film has a lot of emotion which helps to up the scre factor as well as making the audience more involved. The use of Welsh mythology is also a nice touch... read more. Bean and Bello are brilliant and although similar to, this is vastly superior to the trash that was Silent Hill. The ending seems a bit too concerned with attempting to confuse the audience and some quick flashes seem to be there for cheap jumps. Overall this is an unsettling and beautifully shot horror. Perhaps it helped that I spend a lot of time in Wales in a cottage surrounded by Sheep, which of course made it more terrifying.
  • March 30, 2007
    An ok horror , a bit creepy but not scary or gory at all. Similar to the Ring in some ways.
  • March 27, 2007
    Interesting ideas but stale.
  • February 3, 2007
    I guess I kind of like this sort of thing horror and the supernatural etc. It was an okay storyline sacrificing one of the living for one of the dead. But after a while I wanted the film to hurry up and finish. It isn't one of the best horror movies at all. But Sean Bean does the... read more best he could.
  • October 26, 2008
    Wonderfully atmospheric and eerie, this horror started off promisingly before it started to drag a bit. While the story offers nothing new or groundbreaking, it kept me watching. And while the 'scary little girl' in horror movies is far too common place these days, that particu... read morelar effect still seems to give me the chills every time.

    The back story, which is rooted in Welsh mythology is interesting at first, but definitely starts to lose its appeal over time. By the time the movie wound to a close, I was pretty much done with it, although I still enjoyed the twist at the end.

    Even though I rate this pretty much average, I still enjoyed it far more than some other critically acclaimed horrors that I've seen recently.
  • June 9, 2008
    Very mysterious and confusing movie with a storyline that will keep you interested for more.
    Perhaps not very original, but still very interesting throughout with some good acting and a pretty dark ending.

Critic Reviews


Felix Vasquez Jr.
October 22, 2007
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

The clichés and plot devices are all so old hat, and the concept is so confusing and nonsensical... Full Review

Matthew Turner
February 10, 2007
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

Enjoyable, well-acted thriller that's ultimately let down by a disappointing final reel. Impressive sheep-wrangling though. Full Review

Harry Guerin
May 12, 2006
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

Definitely nothing to be afraid of here. Full Review

David Cornelius
April 21, 2006
David Cornelius, DVDTalk.com

The Dark is one of those rare horror films that actually improves as it moves forward. Full Review

David Nusair
April 3, 2006
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...a creepy and often genuinely frightening piece of work. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
January 13, 2006
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Escuridão é pior do que um filme ruim: é um filme ruim que se recusa a chegar ao fim.

Keith H. Brown
December 7, 2007
Keith H. Brown, Eye for Film

Click to read the article Full Review

February 10, 2007
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article Full Review

Christopher Null
February 10, 2007
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

Click to read the article Full Review

Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
October 6, 2007
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Dark Trivia


  • what do the creatures in The Dark Crystal need to be young again?  Answer »
  • The following actors have all starred together in the same movie: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse & Peter Stormare ...which one?  Answer »
  • Funds earned by Pink Floyd's album "The Dark Side of the Moon" went towards financing the making of which movie?  Answer »
  • from the movie "the dark knight" Aaron Eckhart is playing a part previously played by 'Billy Dee Williams' in Batman (1989) and Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever (1995). Eckhart and Jones appeared together in what other movie?  Answer »

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