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decipherhorror
Reviews
Dark Entities (2023)
Indie Horror Gem
In this age of empty, jump scare horror films that populate the megaplexes, I enjoy finding little indie gems like this one that are more interested in building tension through style and atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, there are a few jumps here and there, but the film doesn't rely on them solely to be "scary". Now, this type of slow-burn horror might not appeal to everyone, especially more modern audiences. It is a throwback to the supernatural horror films of the '70s and '80s, with it even giving winks and nods to several of those films along the way. Personally, I enjoyed the homages as it made for a fun little game to see what I can pick out, but don't get me wrong, this movie stands on its own story. For an indie film, the production and costume design did a good job of making it look and feel like the late '70s without it looking over the top or like a costume party. Kudos also to the director and cinematographer for capturing the look of films from that era while also creating interesting stylistic camera and lighting choices unique to this film. Most of the actors are generally stronger than you typically find in indie horror, and to me at least, it seems they were trying to stylize their acting to feel like something you would see in an old movie.