Dark Circles (2013)

Alex and Penny are sick of the hectic city life and decide a move out to the country to raise their newborn child. But they don't expect the horrors threatening their relationship and family.

Director:

Paul Soter

Writer:

Paul Soter

Stars:

Brett Beoubay, Ashley Braud, Philippe Brenninkmeyer

Cast

Credited cast:
Brett Beoubay	...	EMT
Ashley Braud	...	Reporter (voice)
Philippe Brenninkmeyer	...	Michael
Rebecca Collins	...	Bar patron
Jenn Foreman	...	Nancy (as Jennifer Foreman)
Andrea Frankle	...	Johanna
Anthony Michael Frederick	...	Mover
Derrick Freeman	...	Frontman
Pell James	...	Penny
Arabella Landrum	...	Tanner
Ever Eloise Landrum	...	Tanner
Grace LaRocca	...	Bar Patron
Michael Patrick Rogers	...	Construction Worker (as Michael Rogers)
Johnathon Schaech	...	Alex
Andrew Serpas	...	Construction Worker

Storyline

Haunted house film about a pair of sleep deprived parents who begin to experience disturbing visions after moving from the city to a country estate. Alex and Penny have just become parents of a baby boy when they decide that the city is no place to raise a child. Relocating to a farmhouse, the couple finds their relationship deteriorating due to the demands of caring for a newborn, including a lack of sleep. When Alex and Penny begin seeing a mysterious woman around the house, they at first dismiss the sightings as hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation. But as the visions appear more often, the parents are forced to consider that evils are at work in their home. By the time the truth about their new home is revealed, their tenuous grip on sanity has already begun to slip.

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Plot Keywords:

haunted house | ghost | haunting | specter | spirit | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and bloody images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Olheiras

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

After Dark Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

On infantile weariness and uncanny resemblances...

If you are interested in seeing horror films that take a particular aspect of child-rearing, one that is fear-inducing for any parent or to anyone who has any experience in raising children, you may well enjoy this underplayed film. While watching it I became quickly convinced that it was a partner film to 'Grace' (2009). Although very contrasting aspects of child-rearing are turned inside-out as permitted within the possibilities offered by the horror genre, both are relatively underplayed and with small casts; the photography is subtle and although there are sudden jolts designed to shock, they really do resemble those moments when you're so tired you literally fall asleep while you're on your feet. Or at least that is what the victimised parents keep trying to convince themselves as they become more unhinged as every hour passes without rest. Grace, in its ambiguity and horrific content, is certainly a more interesting horror film. But the actresses who play the mothers in both films resemble one another not only in looks but in their obsession with taking care of their child. After checking the background info of both films, I was initially convinced they had the same director; but on closer observation I discovered that the names differ by one letter! Paul Soter directed Grace, whereas this film was directed by Paul Soler. Watching both parents gradually descend into madness as they become deprived of sleep is done hauntingly; you quickly realise where the title comes from; not crop circles or dark spirits but the lines that form under your eyes thanks to long-term weariness. The film makes use of three sets of possibilities, and thankfully doesn't reveal too quickly which one of them is true: are they hallucinating the spectre who seems to be appearing in their house, on cameras and in reflections, is their house haunted or is there a real person threatening them? Although I haven't raised a child or been kept awake by one, I certainly know how scary it can be when you lose track of time through lack of sleep and you're no longer sure which day it is, and this film milks that given for everything it's worth. It turns out that the director of Grace and Dark Circles are entirely unrelated, just as the tidy resolution presented in this film contrasts to the horrific and unexplained horrors of Grace. Still, this film was haunting, original, well-acted and is sufficiently under-played to be worthy of more than a single glance. It doesn't have a great deal to offer, but what it does present it presents in a sufficiently haunting package to give you food for thought, which as far as I'm concerned is the primary function of any truly good horror film.