Fans of the horror genre enjoy being frightened by ghosts, zombies, vampires, werewolves, and huge monsters on the silver screen. But films about demonic possession are the ones that terrify me the most – and I love every moment while watching them. Thanks to independent filmmaker David Spaltro, In the Dark is my current horror fascination. The talented director/writer/editor uses fearless filmmaking in creating this fear-filled motion picture. Spaltro intensifies the type of creepy experience showcased in movies like The Exorcist and The Last Exorcism by including a remarkable – and lengthy -- conversation between one of the main characters and a Demon slowly taking over a young woman’s body. I continue to be haunted by that stunning sequence.         

A sad daughter starts acting weird.

Could demons be what should be feared?

Or is it just her mental state?

Two helpers come. Are they too late?

In the Dark evokes our fear

of scary things that could be near.

And secrets we’re afraid to tell

Plus darkness in a special Hell.

The film oozes suspense and dread,

which stays a long time in our head.

Great horror films should do all this,

like In the Dark – one not to miss.

Skeptical grad student Veronica Carpenter (Lynn Justinger) and paranormal specialist Lois Kearne (Fionna Horrigan) get more than they bargain for during their investigation of a house that might be haunted. They meet Joan Mills (Catherine Ryan) and quickly discover she needs help with her daughter Bethany (Grace Folsom), who insists on spending her time in their dark basement, where she paints bizarre images. But Veronica and Lois hold very different ideas about what will work for Bethany. Veronica prefers the traditional mental health approach; Lois thinks more drastic unconventional methods must be considered. That decision leads to dire and surprising consequences for everyone involved.     

As in Spaltro’s previous movies (….Around and Things I Don’t Understand), the performances impress us because they seem so real, which is especially important in a horror film like this. Spaltro also knows how to push our anticipation into high gear by taking things slowly as we get to know the “helpers” before they meet Joan and Bethany. Plus, with the assistance of cinematographer Gus Sacks and music director Fritz Myers, Spaltro demonstrates how the look and sound of a horror film can draw us into a very frightening world.  

Using a basement setting for the action scenes also works its visual magic for In the Dark. And the Demon voice frightened me almost too much. But, hey, as a horror fan, that’s the way I like it.            

(From Seven Oaks Films; not rated by MPAA.)

For more information about In the Dark, go to the official site by clicking on the link below.

http://www.inthedarkfeaturefilm.com

The World Premiere of  In the Dark will be held on October 15, 2015, at the Tallgrass Film Festival in Wichita, Kansas.