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Movies / On DVD / Darkness Falls
Darkness Falls

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Darkness Falls (2003)

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Reviews Counted:125

Fresh:10

Rotten:115

Average Rating:3.2/10

Consensus: A derivative movie where the scares are few and things don't make much sense.

Runtime: 86 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: For the past 150 years, the legend of Matilda Dixon, "the Tooth Fairy," has hung over the town of Darkness Falls like a dark cloud. After being unjustly accused of a heinous crime, the kindly old... For the past 150 years, the legend of Matilda Dixon, "the Tooth Fairy," has hung over the town of Darkness Falls like a dark cloud. After being unjustly accused of a heinous crime, the kindly old woman was savagely slaughtered by a mad rabble one night, and there are those who say her vengeful spirit hovers over the town, just waiting to pounce on anyone who sees her in the dark.

It happened to young Kyle. One night he saw Matilda and, though he managed to escape her evil clutches, his mother was brutally murdered.

Or was it just a hallucination?

Haunted by his painful memories of that night, and plagued by guilt, Kyle (Chaney Kley) has never allowed himself to be in the dark since. One day, he is summoned back to town by his childhood sweetheart Caitlin (Emma Caulfield), whose nine-year-old brother Michael (Lee Cormie) is having the same nightmares that drove Kyle to the brink of madness.

When he returns, however, Kyle realizes that Matilda’s evil spirit was no figment of his imagination. She is real and extremely dangerous. And if she catches him in the dark again, her horrible, scarred face will be the last thing he ever sees.

Revolution Studios presents A Distant Corners/Blue Star Pictures Production, Darkness Falls, distributed by Columbia Pictures. Starring Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield and Lee Cormie. The film is directed by Jonathan Liebesman. The screenplay is by John Fasano & James Vanderbilt & Joe Harris from a story by Joe Harris. The producers are John Hegeman, John Fasano, William Sherak and Jason Shuman. The executive producers are Derek Dauchy and Lou Arkoff. Dan Laustsen is the director of photography. The production designer is George Liddle. The film is edited by Steve Mirkovich, A.C.E. and Tim Alverson. The music is by Brian Tyler. Creature Designed and Created by Stan Winston Studio.

Darkness Falls is rated PG-13 for terror and horror images, and brief language. [More]

Starring: Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie, Grant Piro

Starring: Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie, Grant Piro, Kestie Morassi, Alannah Oliver, Joshua Anderson

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Screenwriter: Joseph Harris, John Fasano, John Vanderbilt
Producer: John Hegeman, William Sherak, John Fasano, Jason Shuman
Composer: Brian Tyler
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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Reviews for Darkness Falls

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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There are occasional flinch-inciting moments, and there's even a pretty good sense of humor at work, but for the most part Darkness Falls is run-of- the-mill and derivative.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
01/26/03
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

The adults in

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/25/03
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

Of course, though, the climax takes place in a lighthouse (no subtlety there), and every person of authority, the cop, the lawyer, the doctor, are all incapacitated...

Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
01/25/03
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

Like something salvaged from Stephen King's wastebasket.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
01/25/03
Bruce Fretts
Bruce Fretts
Entertainment Weekly

As amateurish as first-time director Jonathan Liebesman is with handling his performers and their roles, he is a clear technical expert, heightening a distinguishable, foreboding atmosphere while delivering thrills and chills at a clip rate.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
01/24/03
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

There's no bite to this.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
01/24/03
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

There isn’t a character that changes in any way during the proceedings – unless you consider being lopped into bits by an angry spirit to be character development.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/24/03
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

There's a lot of noise and blurry action in 'Darkness Falls' -- like the start of my worst migraines.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/24/03
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

The horror genre isn't dead yet even if schlock movies like this one keep trying to bury it.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/24/03
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

Something tells me John Agar would be looking down with pride at Darkness Falls.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
01/24/03
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

A truly awful and extremely loud scareflick.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/24/03
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

The gloomy cinematography and rapid-fire editing ensure that the tooth fairy isn't overexposed, but you can't see much of anything else, either.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
01/24/03
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

There's not a jot of originality in Darkness Falls, but there are a few good scares.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
01/24/03
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star

When Darkness Falls, boredom rises.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
01/24/03
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Darkness Falls casts a pall over its genre rather than do it justice. It should, however, appeal to horror fans looking for a cheap thrill.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
01/24/03
Guylaine Cadorette
Guylaine Cadorette
Hollywood.com

Announcing her presence with a phlegmy wheeze, the Fairy strikes swiftly and sometimes even scarily, thanks to Stan Winston's ace special effects. But the movie's premise ... telegraphs her appearances and eliminates suspense.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/24/03
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
San Francisco Chronicle

The 'story' has editing in place of atmosphere, noise in place of subtlety.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
01/24/03
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

Darkness Falls ... on its face.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/24/03
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Stephen King without the snap, David Lynch without the kink, teen horror without the teen hormones, Darkness Falls falls apart in a crescendo of creepy-crawly hoo-ha.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
01/24/03
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

With it's no-name cast and dopey plot, there is little to explain why this generic piece of work did not go straight to DVD.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
01/24/03
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for Darkness Falls

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