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 |
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. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I didn't care much for Gone Girl -- maybe it was Ben Affleck -- but I was drawn to this movie despite that. Maybe it was Charlize Theron, maybe it was Nicholas Hoult, whom I have enjoyed watching grow into a first rate actor since his days in Skins. In any case, whatever reservations I had at first rapidly dissolved into a distant memory as the first ten minutes passed.
Usually I roll my eyes at flashback-driven efforts, but not so with Dark Places. Each switch back to 1985 is like the tumblers on a lock giving that satisfying click as you pick it, breeding anticipation and certainty that there is a rich reward at the end for your efforts, every scene evoking a subtle revelation that drives the story onward.
Well cast, well scored, well directed, Dark Places deserves more recognition than it has garnered. If I had to point out one flaw, it would be a forgivable one; MISFITS swag was not that easy to come by in 1985.