There are films that come around and seem to have everything going for them. Expectations are raised ever so slightly, and a buzz generates in the build-up. This could be said for thriller/mystery In Darkness. It had its European premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival, it is co-written and stars the esteemed Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer, and it has a plot which on paper sounds promising to be a hit. However, making this kind of assumption can often prove to be a mistake. It results in a feeling of disappointment as one walks out of the screening, thinking over all the generated buzz in the room before the film and wondering if everyone else is as underwhelmed. Unfortunately, this again could be said for In Darkness. 

Sofia (Natalie Dormer) is a blind professional pianist living in central London. She lives an ordinary life with no cause for concern in her daily routine. Go to work where she has a promising career, return home, work some more, sleep. Aside from not seeming to have many friends around her, Sofia’s life reads rather plainly. The closest person she has to a friend is her upstairs neighbour. Troubled Veronique (Emily Ratajkowski) is the daughter of an accused but not imprisoned Serbian war criminal and she seems to be marked by her Father’s past in more ways than one. After some odd encounters with Veronique in the building lobby Sofia is aware that all is not right. She starts to listen intently to the mysterious goings on from her neighbours flat above, which one night results in a very unexpected incident that changes Sofia’s life instantly. She becomes entangled in Veronique’s secrets and dangerous past as she gets closer to the truth, and closer to Veronique’s Father.

There is no doubt this film has a plot that draws you in. A blind woman living a normal life is pushed into a world of danger and mystery as she hunts for justice. It sounds interesting at the least and for the beginning that’s exactly what it is. The first thirty minutes line up the plot nicely and offer just enough to leave the audience gripped and thrilled for more. This feeling is then snatched away for the remaining minutes. The plot becomes downright confusing as new characters are thrown in that give nothing to the story, events just get more crowded and more complicated. Plot twists are a wonderful thing when executed well. This script is full to the brim of bad plot twist after bad plot twist that add nothing but more mess to the narrative and effectively remove all the good work the first thirty minutes did. On the lighter side, Dormer deserves credit for a strong performance, and there are some well realised shots as we go along with Sofia. The audience enter into a world without sight & having to rely on other senses to pick up imminent danger. Such potential in the first segment and in the story itself, In Darkness descends into ridiculousness and leaves you reminding yourself to never trust in hype.

Director: Anthony Byrne
Writers: Anthony Byrne, Natalie Dormer
Stars: Emily Ratajkowski, Natalie Dormer, Ed Skrein
Stephanie Allard
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