Dark Corners (2006)

As Susan Hamilton sleeps she dreams that she is another person in an alternative reality as her greatest fears are acted out she is pursued by the notorious serial killer known as the Night Stalker.

Director:

Ray Gower

Writer:

Ray Gower

Stars:

Thora Birch, Toby Stephens, Christien Anholt

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thora Birch	...	Susan Hamilton / Karen Clarke
Toby Stephens	...	Dr. Woodleigh
Christien Anholt	...	David Hamilton
Joanna Hole	...	Elaine Jordan
Lorraine Bruce	...	Mary Sullivan
Ray Charleson	...	Mr. Kyrke-Smith
Michael J. Reynolds	...	Dr. Richardson
Alan Perrin	...	Detective Jackson / Detective Flint
Oliver Price	...	Needletooth
Glenn Beck	...	Mr. Saunders
John Bown	...	Old Man
Sheryl Gannaway	...	Judith Palmer
Barbara Keogh	...	Old Woman
Ian Porter	...	News Anchor
Dominic Potter	...	Evilkid

Storyline

As Susan Hamilton sleeps she dreams that she is another person in an alternative reality as her greatest fears are acted out she is pursued by the notorious serial killer known as the Night Stalker.

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Plot Keywords:

fear | serial killer | dream | urination | suburb | 

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Taglines:

Terror Breeds in the Shadows of the Soul

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Genres:

Horror | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alma Negra

Filming Locations:

Bushey, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Matador Pictures, Regent Capital, Shoreline Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the scenes where someone is driving, take note that they're driving the British way (where this film was made) on the left side of the road. In the US (where this film takes place) driving is on the right, not the left.

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Quotes

Dr. Woodleigh: You ungrateful, fucking bitch!

User Reviews

A low-budget "what's the twist" movie that's worth a watch

I caught this movie several months ago, and it was only after happening to come across it in my collection recently that I realized it was really worth commenting on here. So here goes.

Firstly, my brief take on the plot: Karen Clarke lives in a city where dark and horrifying things exist just beyond the edge of her vision. Susan Hamilton is a happily married woman suffering from recurring nightmares. Each considers the other to be the person they become in their dreams. So who is real? Now, this is not one of those "are you sure this is low-budget?" productions. There are numerous qualities about this film which make it very clear to the viewer that we are, in fact, in the land of independent financing, ranging from certain scenes shot like they're using 1950s camera equipment to the typical "small roles filled by people with all the emotions of a cardboard box" syndrome. This even extends to one of the more significant minor roles, an older blond woman whose acting ability alternates between competent and "Plan 9 From Outer Space" depending on the scene.

With that said, there's still something to this film. It takes a bit to get going, with the first 30-40 minutes leaving the viewer with a lot of puzzle pieces and very few ways to connect them, but the pieces themselves are reasonably interesting. Once we hit the halfway mark, however, things begin to connect a bit more. Most of it is executed well, leaving the viewer feeling neither confused nor as though they've been led by the nose. A few times, however, clues are all but identified with bright neon signs, particularly a seemingly pointless conversation which suddenly draws attention to itself with a rather unorthodox camera pan. The presentation otherwise is excellent, with many of the scenes set in the "dark" city just about oozing a sense of corruption and decay. Much of the content is surprisingly robust as well, with a lot of allegory and outright symbolism present throughout. (Though the significance of it all isn't truly clear until the end of the film) While the smaller roles are filled with the typical low-budget riff-raff, the principals all do an excellent job in this film. Thora Birch is entertaining to watch and, as always, you can sympathize with her character(s) almost instantly. Toby Stephens gives a short, interesting, and dark performance which is perfect for the film, and in a pleasant surprise Alan Perrin makes a highly intriguing detective in both "sides" of the narrative.

However, the real winning part of this film is the final reveal, the "twist" if you will. While it isn't what I would call exactly genius, it's still pretty clever; even the most observant of viewers will at best be able to determine part of the twist, but not all. More importantly, the reveal is both creepy and satisfying, albeit in a Schadenfreude-y kind of way. It's a worthy payoff for 90 minutes of invested time.

BOTTOM LINE: It's not really award worthy and it's certainly not perfect, but it's entertaining and has a wonderfully satisfying-yet-creepy ending. If you're a fan of "twist" movies like Memento and Sixth Sense but prefer a "darker" feel this may be right up your alley.