Dark Places (2015)

Libby Day was only eight years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Almost thirty years later, she reluctantly agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night.

Director:

Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Writers:

Gilles Paquet-Brenner (written for the screen by), Gillian Flynn (novel)

Stars:

Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlize Theron	...	Libby Day
Sterling Jerins	...	Young Libby Day
Nicholas Hoult	...	Lyle Wirth
Christina Hendricks	...	Patty Day
Corey Stoll	...	Ben Day
Tye Sheridan	...	Young Ben Day
Andrea Roth	...	Diondra
Chloë Grace Moretz	...	Young Diondra
Sean Bridgers	...	Runner Day
J. LaRose	...	Trey Teepano (as J LaRose)
Shannon Kook	...	Young Trey Teepano
Jennifer Pierce Mathus	...	Diane
Natalie Precht	...	Michelle Day
Madison McGuire	...	Debby Day
Lori Z. Cordova	...	Magda

Storyline

Libby Day is a lifeless woman who survived the massacre of her family in their farmhouse in the countryside of Kansas when she was eight. She's been living on donations and lectures ever since. Thirty years ago, the police believed that a satanic cult was responsible for the murder of her mother and two sisters, and her brother Ben was convicted with her testimony in court. Today, however, an acquaintance, Lyle Wirth, invites Libby to visit "The Kill Club", where amateurs investigate famous crimes, and she finds that they believe Ben is innocent. Libby needs money and, in return, accepts to revisit the slaughter of her family and comes up to the painful revelations and the ultimate truth.

---

Plot Keywords:

private investigator | murder of family | farm | nonlinear timeline | murder of mother | 

---

Taglines:

In 1985, her entire family was murdered. 30 years later, the truth emerges.

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing violence, language, drug use and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 June 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lugares oscuros

Filming Locations:

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$208,588, 31 December 2015

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,090,852, 14 December 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Exclusive Media Group, Mandalay Vision, Cuatro Plus Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amy Adams was originally cast in the lead role during development, but when the project was green-lit, Adams was unavailable, and Charlize Theron was cast instead. Adams later took the lead role in Sharp Objects (2018), a project based on another of Flynn's novels.

---

Goofs

In the bar scene, the song Keep Your Hands to Yourself by the Georgia Satellites is playing. The song was released in 1986, a year after this took place.

---

Quotes

Libby Day: Don't be discouraged - every relationship you have is a failure, until you find the right one.

---

Connections

Featured in Bringing 'Dark Places' to Light (2015)

---

Soundtracks

Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
Written by Mike Leander and Gary Glitter
Performed by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
Courtesy of Blackheart Records Group, Inc.

User Reviews

I like it, thought it was a great murder mystery.

I thought the film had a lot of really cool twist and turns that kept me guessing all the way to the end.

There were a lot of layers too it that did not jumble up on you to become too complicated. I guess the story was flushed out quite well by the filmmaker.

The film had a lot of cool elements too.

Charlize Theron plays Libby Day, the lone survivor of a massacre done by her brother of their entire family. Twenty years later, a convention of geeks that love serial killers, lead by Nicolas Hoult, contact her and pay her to help them prove that her brother did not do it. Even though she said he did Twenty years ago.

The movie lives up to the title. It points out how low a person can get on many different levels.

Good watch.