Darkness (2002)

Director:

Jaume Balagueró

Writers:

Jaume Balagueró (written by) and
Fernando de Felipe (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Some secrets should never come to light

Plot:

A teenage girl moves into a remote countryside house with her family, only to discover that their gloomy new home has a horrifying past that threatens to destroy the family.

Plot Keywords:

House | Darkness | Blood | Children | Teenage Girl

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Anna Paquin	...	Regina
Lena Olin	...	Maria
Iain Glen	...	Mark
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Albert Rua
Fele Martínez	...	Carlos
Stephan Enquist	...	Paul
Fermí Reixach	...	Villalobos (as Fermi Reixach)
Francesc Pagès	...	Driver Traffic Jam
Craig Stevenson	...	Electrician
Paula Fernández	...	Girl 1
Gemma Lozano	...	Girl 2
Xavier Allepuz	...	Boy 1
Joseph Roberts	...	Boy 2
Marc Ferrando	...	Boy 3
Josh Gaeta	...	Boy 4
Mattew Dixon	...	Boy 5
Carlos Castañón	...	Friend 1
Carles Punyet	...	Friend 2
Reg Wilson	...	Librarian
Ferran Lahoz	...	Taxi Driver Regina
Pedro Antonio Segura	...	Patient Traffic Jam
Astrid Fenollar	...	Old Woman 1
Lidia Dorado	...	Old Woman 2
Clara Manguillot	...	Old Woman 3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Martí	...	Man Sleeping on Bus (uncredited)

Directed by
Jaume Balagueró

Writing credits
Jaume Balagueró		(written by) and
Fernando de Felipe		(written by)
Miguel Tejada-Flores		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Carlos Fernández	....	executive producer
Julio Fernández	....	producer
Teresa Gefaell	....	line producer
Guy J. Louthan	....	executive producer
Bea Morillas	....	secretary of production
Antonia Nava	....	co-executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer
Brian Yuzna	....	creative producer
Brian Yuzna	....	producer

Original Music by
Carles Cases

Cinematography by
Xavi Giménez

Film Editing by
Luis de la Madrid

Casting by
Elena Arnao
Matt Western

Production Design by
Llorenç Miquel

Set Decoration by
Deborah Chambers
Silvia Steinbrecht

Costume Design by
Eva Arretxe

Makeup Department
Alma Casal	....	makeup department head
Nieves Martin	....	hair stylist
Satur Merino	....	hair stylist (as Saturnino Merino)
Brad Wilder	....	makeup artist: Anna Paquin

Production Management
Jake Myers	....	executive in charge of production: Dimension Films
Nick Phillips	....	executive in charge of production: Dimension films
Carla Pérez de Albéniz	....	unit manager
Jesús L. Pérez Villar	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luis de la Madrid	....	second unit director (credited only as editor)
Anna Rua	....	second assistant director
Rita Rubio	....	third assistant director
Iñaki Sánchez	....	second second assistant director
Fernando Sánchez-Izquierdo	....	assistant director

Art Department
Pedro Jesús De la Fuente	....	construction coordinator
Paco Escofet	....	assistant set decorator
Jordi Huguet	....	storyboard artist
Mani Martínez	....	set construction assistant (as Mariano Martinez)
José Luis Moya	....	construction coordinator
Ramón Moya	....	construction manager
Joan Sabaté	....	property master
Gustavo Suñer	....	props
Antonio Sánchez-Romo	....	supervising carpenter
Félix Álvarez	....	painter

Sound Department
Manuel Carrión	....	foley artist
Dani Fontrodona	....	sound
Manel López	....	boom operator
Manel López	....	sound editor
Salva Mayolas	....	sound
Ferran Mengod	....	dialogue editor
Jordi Monrós	....	foley recordist
Marc Orts	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jaume Puig	....	sound consultant: Dolby

Special Effects by
Xavi Bastida	....	special effects makeup
Spencer Gray	....	special effects assistant
Daniel Izar de la Fuente	....	special effects technician
Daniel Izar de la Fuente	....	special liquid effects assistant
Taller Maravillas	....	special effects
David Martí	....	special effects
José M. Meneses	....	special effects technician: DDT
Amador Rehak	....	special effects
Juan Serrano	....	special effects technician: DDT SFX

Visual Effects by
Gloria Bernabeu	....	digital compositor
Martin Contel	....	CG artist
Jordi Costa	....	cg artist
Luis de la Madrid	....	visual effects editor
Laura Maynadé	....	digital effects coordinator
Quico Noizeux	....	scanner/recorder
Quico Noizeux	....	title graphics
Jaume Vilaseca	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Mónica Consuegra	....	stunts
Ángel Plana	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ferran Calvó	....	second assistant camera
Albert Carreras	....	camera operator
Francesc Carreras	....	first assistant camera
Óscar Faura	....	director of photography: second unit
Manel Fernández	....	lighting technician
Javier González Leonardo	....	grip
Javier González Leonardo	....	key grip
Charly Guerrero	....	grip
Javier Guerrero	....	best boy electrician
Marc Gómez del Moral	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Juan Carlos Gómez	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Sebastián Hernandis	....	underwater camera operator
José Manuel Herrero	....	underwater camera operator
José Ángel Manrique	....	grip
Kike Martínez	....	electrician: dailies
Roger Martínez	....	first assistant camera
Diego Moyano	....	electrician
José Luis Rodríguez	....	gaffer
Ramón Sánchez	....	Steadicam operator
Manuel Zambrana	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Matt Western	....	casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
María Engo	....	additional wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Félix Bueno	....	post-production assistant
José Calderón	....	negative cutter
Sean Hubbert	....	additional editorial assistant
Bernat Vilaplana	....	first assistant editor
Oskar Pérez	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Eduardo Albaladejo	....	management of rights: Filmax Entertainment
Allan Baker	....	story editor
Vicente Canales	....	head of sales
Ingrid Fernández de Castro	....	production assistant
Mariana Gironella	....	script supervisor
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	dialect coach: Ms. Paquin
Richard Hyland	....	production accountant
Alberto Marini	....	development executive
Alberto Marini	....	director's creative assistant
Mary Kay McCoy	....	dialogue coach
Manuel Monzón	....	development executive (as Manuel Monzón Fueyo)
Helena Moreno Núñez	....	development executive
Martin Samper	....	making-of
Elena Serra	....	development executive
Elisa Sirvent	....	location manager
Elisa Sirvent	....	production assistant
Ursi Van der Herten	....	assistant: Brian Yuzna
Manel Vicaria	....	press and promotion
Matt Western	....	director: UK

Production Companies

• Castelao Producciones
• Dimension Films
• Filmax International
• Vía Digital

Distributors

• Sociedad General de Derechos Audiovisuales (SOGEDASA) (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• CDI Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Dimension Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Video (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Eagle Pictures
• Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2011) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (triple feature with "Phantoms" and "Venom")
• Filmax (2002) (Spain) (all media)
• GAGA
• Humax Pictures
• Miramax Films (2004) (USA) (all media)
• Splendid Film (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Filmtel S.A.

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor

Also Known As:

"The Dark" - USA (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, intense terror sequences, thematic elements and language (edited for re-rating)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:88 min (PG-13 version)

Country:

USA | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:15A (cut) | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | USA:R (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (original rating) | South Korea:15 | Mexico:B15 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Castelao Producciones

Trivia:

Director Jaume Balagueró attempted to recruit actress Natalie Portman to play the part of Regina, which eventually went to Anna Paquin.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Twenty-three minutes into the movie, Regina comes down the stairs and sees that her dad has found a secret room under the stairs. Her father comes out holding a picture apparently very interested. Regina asks her father, "What's that?" looking at the space under the stairs. We then see a still frame where just barely, you can see Regina's father still in the space looking at the picture even though he had just stepped out of that area.

Quotes:

Paul:I don't like the dark here, it keeps eating my pencils.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

Everything is pitch black.

I was quite impressed with Jaume Balaguero's first feature "The Nameless" which mightn't have been original, but it was coldly disturbing and effectively suspenseful. Now I heard and read nothing but poor things on his second feature "Darkness". I couldn't escape the negativity, and naturally I was expecting something very weak. However came away from it thinking what an interesting failure into supernatural/occult territory. The main problem is due the story's stale familiarity, which never really is given the chance to rise above its foreseeable hints, embarrassingly shallow script and ludicrously ragged framework. Talk about hazy, and I mean real hazy. It's cryptic, but extremely convoluted and mundane. Even with Balaguero's understated, glossed up icy direction, which works in some eerie, and jarring visuals that go a long way of building up a quiet intensity and dreary atmosphere.

Still everything about it is downright mechanical and probably a bit long in the tooth, but it didn't seem to bother me because I found it rather intriguing despite the muddled, paper-thin intentions. There's just something lurking behind this jilted mess that I found fascinating, but the narrative does get lost amongst the busy visual style. From the beginning, we learn it's all about the casually paced build-up, but the shocks are too clichéd (like creaky sounds, moving shadows) and the final pay-off doesn't have too much of a sting to it. Technically the film looks the part with its dark composition and sterile cinematography, and the weeping, otherworldly music score works a haunting tone. The sound devices are so old-hat and forced, but they're pinpoint, vitriolic and really do surround you. The characters don't fair any better, and I thought the performances from a solid cast were modest enough even with their flimsy characterisations. Anna Paquin was suitably appealing and maturely strong, but a awful Lena Olin looked quite uninterested and Iain Glen was terribly uneven. Giancarlo Giannini stays on cruise control, and Stephan Enquist turns in a fine performance.