Darkness MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: -4 Content: -4

A family of four moves into a remote country home in Spain that has been unoccupied for 40 years. Electrical problems seem to keep the house dark with lights constantly flickering, but the real problem is due to an occult sacrifice when the house was built. In December 1964, six children had been slain by those who had loved them. The problem, however, was that there should have been seven sacrifices. The spirits will not rest without the seventh sacrifice, which can only occur during a total eclipse. With the help of her boyfriend, Regina (Anna Paquin) begins to piece together the strange events that are terrorizing her family. She discovers that with the coming total eclipse, her family is in grave danger. Unfortunately, she seeks the help of her grandfather who knows well the history of the home. She must hurry to avoid the terror of the darkness and save her family.

Opening on Christmas day, Darkness was marketed as a suspense thriller. Sadly, the movie was short on thrills and heavy on confusion. Unsolicited comments from movies goers after the film included, They dont make horror movies like they used to, What a waste of money, and my personal favorite from an elderly woman, Someone is going to have to explain that movie to me. After seeing the movie, this reviewer felt incapable of assisting her. Violence was minimal, but the movie had a heavy dose of occult activity that included child sacrifices. Adding to the trouble was the medical condition of the father who was prone to fits of rage and the apathy of the mother who was not concerned about the mysterious bruising of her son. Most parents would recommend that you avoid this movie on Christmas day, and Preview recommends that you avoid it the other 364 days as well.

Preview Reviewer: Henry J. Rogers
Distributor: Dimension Films