Daughter of darkness

You got something on your shoulder

Horror movies aren't exactly my cup of tea. If you look through my catalog of reviews you'll notice I hardly ever watch any from the genre. The reason for that is simple: at some point horror movies just stopped being scary (for me at least) and instead placed emphasis on over the top gore or shock value (man I miss Wes Craven). Given that it's the Halloween season, I decided I'd give Lights Out a sporting chance to pass the time and the result ended up being surprisingly entertaining. The plot is, for the lack of a better word, very outlandish as it involves a shadowy figure named Diana (Alecia Vela-Baley) that appears when there is no light. This supernatural entity has been haunting Martin (Gabriel Bateman) in his house shortly after the

death of his father. His mother Sophie (Maria Bello) is actually carrying conversations with someone he cannot see and assumes it might be Diana. From that point on, Martin no longer sleeps and his situation catches the attention of his older sister Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) who lives alone. Having gone through a similar experience herself as a child, Rebecca decides to investigate what the connection is between her own mother and the apparition known as Diana that simply won't leave her family in peace. By now you're thinking "this sounds like a standard b-movie ghost flick at best" and probably relies on jump scares to compensate for lack of originality. I wouldn't be surprised if you did but Lights Out actually proves to be a gem amongst the dozens of horror released yearly. The film cleverly uses the darkness to play on the viewer's fear and uncertainty. We know Diana is the figure that attacks the characters but it's the surroundings and ambiance that make us nervous as we don't know from where she could suddenly appear: the dark corner of the room, the empty hallway, the sealed room with no lights on, etc. That level of mystery is part of what makes Lights Out work, and extra kudos points for the filmmakers for using practical effects instead of opting for the cheap CGI look; otherwise Diana would not have looked as intimidating [and freaky] as a visual effect. The acting isn't half-bad either but don't expect any Oscar-nominated performances; this is a horror film after all. Honestly speaking, Lights Out was a pleasant surprise and while it's not the scariest film I've seen, it is one of the more enjoyable horror films I've seen in a very, very long time and will definitely deliver the scares. Just don't watch it with the lights off.

-Reviewed by Razor, 10/26/16