Customer Reviews

Dark Remains

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After their daughter is murdered a couple move into an isolated cabin to get away from the city. The problem is that the cabin is haunted. Some of the acting is questionable and the script didn't always flow but for a low budget film it was okay. The woman playing the mother was too young for the part but did an adequate job.

As an avid horror fan for 30 years, I was truly impressed. I yelled out atleast twice and jumped several times. The scarest scene for me was the stairs, but I don't want to give anything away. I thought the plot and the acting were good enough to be in the theaters. This movie has earned a spot with my other favorite horror greats. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to be scared, or is a horror fan.

Okay, for two huge horror fans, this movie delivered. Me and my husband had a hard time getting through this movie. We had to stop if a few times to get a breather and turn on the lights. It makes you jump and breathe fast because of sudden scares that keep happening. It is a true jump out of your seat, when will it happen next, heart pounding scary, etc...movie!!! Watch it and you will know what I am talking about.

Dark Remains is a brave and mostly quite accomplished attempt at a "Grudge"/"Evil Dead" style horror film which works at making you jump but is sadly in need of a good script. A couple named Alan and Julie lose their young daughter when she is brutally and unnaccountably murdered in her bed by persons unknown. The distraught couple move out to a remote cabin in the woods to come to terms with their grief, but it turns out that the cabin is not the most peaceful place for them to be, as several of it's former occupants have died mysteriously, and soon the couple are fighting for their lives and their sanity.

Let me say first off that for a low budget independant production (which I think this is), the film has a lot going for it. If you are of a nervous dispositon and don't like being made to jump, then this film could give you nightmares. Once Alan and Julie arrive at the cabin and start getting spooked, the scare scenes never let up. Ghostly faces appear behind every window or mirror, things drop and clatter on the floor unexpectedly and doors and windows keep opening and closing with no warning. It actually gets quite wearing to be constantly waiting for the next ghoulish figure to pop up over someones shoulder or glide down a distant corridor. However, the ghosts, when they appear are spooky enough, and some of the surprises are very well done. Camera work and frame compostion are very nice, although a lot of it, such as close ups and montages of ordinary things like Julie having a shower or photographing an abandoned prison that happens to be next door to the cabin seem to be little more than attractive padding. It almost seems like there is nothing to do but watch the screen for the next ghost.

This brings me to the films major failing. When the ghosts are not on screen, there simply isn't enough happening. And there isn't much attempt to develop Alan and Julie as human beings. The two leads are competent actors but they barely speak to each other. Despite their relationship since the death of their daughter being crucial to the atmosphere, the conversations between the two are limited to mere scraps of words at a time, such as "I'm going to take more photos" or "I don't feel right here". It's ok that the couple are greiving and not communicating, but as a viewer I needed more insight into their characters to be able to understand their motivations. I could almost see in the eyes of the actress playing Julie the craving to actually have something more significant to say than "I'm tired" or "I don't feel like it", over and over again. Because of the lack of decent conversations or visible personalities in anyone, the film boils down to being an exercise in looking at spooky imagery without having any involvements with the characters being menaced.

So in some ways the film is a failure, and it is crying out for a script to put some intellectual meat on it's scary bones. They could have also added more in the way of explanations, as the story ends with a lot of plot holes still unexplained. I'd probably call the film an overall success due to the scares, particularly some terrific scenes of ghoulish figures falling down stairs, or the phantom of the dead daughter cropping up unexpectedly to the great distress of her mother. It also handles that old chestnut of "characters waking from a dream sequence that we don't know is actually dream at first" pretty well, too. But a bit more attention paid towards giving the actors real characters to work with would have paid off enormously.

Rarely does a film come along that I can say was truly scary with so much coming out these days. This film satisfied a long time need of mine in that department. The timing, cinematography and directing were excellent, combined with a overall complimenting score and sounds. The ghosts thruout could easily compete with any ghost film out there...so to summarize this has become a new fav of mine, that I'll recommend to all my friends. If your like me and tired of being let down, then here ya go.....
(eyesofchaos dot com)

Creepy, Eerie, Frightening, Unsettling.....one of the best ghost films ever made. Even though this film was made on digital video all the interior shots are film-like. It is only the exterior shots that give the video away. Even so you cannot imagine how scary this film is. I viewed it on a big screen projector setup with 5 to 1 dolby, and the scares come unexpectedly. I would not recommend this film for children or the faint of heart. It is incredible that a low budget film like this can deliver more Frightening terror than most grade a gimmick cgi Hollywood films. Congratulations to everyone involved with this movie. The shame is that most people will never see this film. A little masterpiece! See It yes, but don't watch it alone.

Truly a scary film. It deserves all the awards that have been bestowed upon it. Loved the behind the scenes stuff. The cover alone makes ones skin crawl. We need more films from these independent film makers. Also, quick delivery by Amazon is to be noted. It was in my mail box before I expected it.

It is too bad that the masses will never get to see this film on the big screen. This is a classic horror film in the real definition of the word horror. It is a classic ghost story to compete with any of the Asian films. The good thing is that it is not a remake or ripoff of an Asian film. It is an original. This film will get under your skin and stay there for a long time. If you like horror, this is a must see but be warned...it is not for the faint of heart. If you enjoyed the original Ringu...this is for you....only more frightening.
Read other online reviews....this film won Best of Show at every alternative film festival it was screened at.

Well here we have a horror movie thats actually scary. I haven't quite enjoyed a horror movie since I saw Session 9 in 2004. This movie, while similar in some ways (ghosts, big empty building) is nowhere near the psychological terror that Session 9 provided... no this movie thrives on scaring the crap out of you. And it does a very good job of it. This movie has some of the most unique, frightening, jump-outta-your-seat scares. I'm a 23 year old horror buff, i've seen tons of horror flicks and it takes a lot to scare me.. this movie delivered. You're always on the edge of your seat wondering when the next scare is coming.

As for the story, its so-so.. like a said, the scares are the main attraction here. The acting is pretty dull, but for being an indie movie, its about as good as it gets. I recommend watching this one along in the dark while you're home alone. Its such a great feeling when you find a good horror flick...

Good dialogue, a talented cast, well shot...and creepy as hell. Well worth owning.