Why was Darkness Falls an automatic inclusion? Like the rest of the movies that eventually made their way to our 31 Days of Modern Horror list, it's here because, when each first watched it, Darkness Falls was like nothing either of us seen before.
For me, Darkness Falls is unique because it somehow manages to be absolutely terrifying with just a PG-13 rating. Think about that. You could have taken your kids to see Legally Blonde 2, followed by a movie that would have kept you up all night, shivering in the dark. (Not that Legally Blonde 2 isn't disturbing in its own way...)
"I watched it in the cinema too, if I remember correctly. I was so impressed with it - which is weird because of its low rating. It's something that's so accessible to children but is so damned frightening at the same time.
"How does a horror movie that's only rated PG-13 work? If done correctly, very well. There was no gore, language, or nudity in Darkness Falls. The terror is psychological, not physical. The added bonus is that they get a much bigger box office because kids are allowed."
The first time I went to see Darkness Falls was late one night at university with one of my best friends. We walked into the cinema adults and ran out, holding hands, scared little children. It's that effective.
"It's jumpy and quite nervy. It wasn't frightening but it was good escapism. Darkness Falls is stylish. It's a re-imagining of an old fairy tale, the tooth fairy, but it's clever because it doesn't show her too much at the beginning."
The beginning of Darkness Falls is unusual because its an instance of tell-rather-than-show that doesn't make me cringe. It starts with the retelling of an urban legend, over a montage of old-fashioned photos and the slow burn of the fire that was the catalyst for the movie's evil. It sets the mood and gives you everything you need to know to get right into the action when movie starts in earnest.
Lighting is tremendously important to the success of this movie. Since the Tooth Fairy can't stand to be in the light, the main characters spend their time doing their best to avoid darkness, where the Tooth Fairy can safely take her revenge. Straight away, you know it's going to be a dark film.
Dark films can be difficult to pull off. There's a fine line between dark enough to be scary and too dark to tell what's going on. You can always tell what's happening in Darkness Falls. The lighting is this one is worthy of a Carpenter film. My favourite bit is in the forest after the car crashes and you see the beams of the headlights through the tree branches, with smoke from the engine blowing all around. Beautiful.
They use light and shadow masterfully but also utilize things like mirrors and reflections to add an extra layer of fright. The best part about having a movie laden with shadows is that you never quite know what they are. Is that just a coat - or is it a vengeful spirit come to claim your child?
Speaking of children, there are three prominent child actors in Darkness Falls. Joshua Anderson played young Kyle, who grows up in the light because he knows the Tooth Fairy will come for him if he's caught in the dark. Anderson is a fabulous actor who does a brilliant job of portraying fear. His crush, Emily Browning's young Caitlin, is also a good actor, convincingly selling young love. Lee Cormie as Michael... well, not so much.
"Considering they were, with the exception of Emma Caulfield (Caitlin), mostly unknown at the time, they did a remarkable job. I wish Emma Caulfield took the lead more often in films. She stole a lot of the scenes she was part of in Buffy. You have to be a good actor to do that."
The great thing about having children in a horror movie is that they're never afraid to call bullshit. I've said before that children see what others don't, which is true, but they'll also tell you exactly what they see, without fear of being called crazy for it. I love that Michael doesn't let Kyle (Chaney Kley) get away with the lies he's trying to sell. We adults need that in our lives.
One of the reasons Darkness Falls works is the setting. Every small town you see on film could be your hometown. There's something about a small town setting that feels familiar. That feels like home. And, as everyone who grew up in a place like that knows, every town has their own darkness, their own shame. Every town has a wealth of legends and monsters - human or otherwise.
Movies often rely on the prodigal child returning home after an absence to help add tension. They do it, of course, because it works. When people who leave come home, the ones who stayed treat them like they've been betrayed. How dare you do what everyone wanted to do but no one else had the guts to go for! (Yeah, I have some experience with that one.) Let's not forget that when you go home, it never takes long to remember why you left.
Not so difficult for Michael, of course, since being accused of killing your mother is a pretty difficult one to forget.
There are some great jumps in Darkness Falls - and a good combination of them. Some will make you laugh out loud (like when the douche from the bar gets snatched) and some will straight up make you scream (like when the Fairy gets Kyle's mother.) I'll be honest, I laughed way harder at a couple of the snatches than I should have done...
"My favourite jump is when all three of them have to jump on the stairwell and the Fairy takes them one at a time. That first one, when she takes the doctor, is a great moment."
Darkness Falls plays on one of our most basic human fears: fear of the dark. Fear of the dark, fear of the unknown... they all boil down to fear of the unknown. Fearing what might be watching you from the darkness. It could be nothing at all... or it could be an evil old bitch who wants your teeth.
"Every kid is afraid of the dark. We all go through that phase of being terrified of what's out there. Most of the time, we grow out of it. Most of the time, we have no reason not to."
The town's lighthouse also plays a prominent role, which really isn't surprising since lighthouses are a common tool in creating horror. Why? Because they signal danger. As Jay says, "By their very nature, they're warnings. It's dangerous here. Stay away!"
The Tooth Fairy is a cool looking character. She remind's me a little of Harry Potter's Dementors. My favourite image of her is at the beginning of the film when she's hovering over the bathroom door. I found it interesting that, for a long period of the town's history, the Tooth Fairy picked kids off here and there but, the moment Kyle gets back to town, she starts going nuts. I have a theory about that...
I reckon the reason the Tooth Fairy upped her game is because she was fucking pissed. She spends all these years waiting, watching Kyle and losing. He outsmarts her every time. And this new kid starts doing the same? Then, they team up? I'd be pretty pissed about that if I were a vengeful spirit.
"I liked this one. It was a neat little film. I've seen films with much bigger budgets fall flat on their faces. Money doesn't mean a movie's going to work. Just take it for what it is, a blip in the horror genre. You just don't see horrors that get away with such a low rating.
Darkness Falls is what I'd call horror lite. It's a great movie for people who don't handle horror movies well and for families. (As long as you don't mind staying up all night with them.)"
The reviews for Darkness Falls are pretty mixed. It's one of those love-it-or-hate-it kind of things. Me, I love it. What do you think? You know how to get in touch...
Tomorrow, we'll be moving away from ghosts again. Toward what? Come back to find out.
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