A richly ominous film, After Darkness tells the tale of a family trying to cope when they are thrown into total darkness. The chilling movie at times does create an aura of dread, but the sci-fi thriller loses some of its power during the chaos that gets formed within the house they are living. The acting and directing are sufficient for the script, but the storyline gets a little inane.
The Beaty family gathers at their homestead in the country where we find Raymond (Tim Daly) and Georgina (Kyra Sedgwick) the parents and their 15-year-old daughter Clara (Natalia Dyer) waiting for the two older sons to arrive. Raymond Jr. (John Patrick Amedori) is the first to get there and his sister meets him at his car delighted to see him back from college.
A little later Fred Beaty (Roberto Aguire) arrives with his wife Margot (Valerie Curry) and they all gather at the dinner table. The group talk about what is going on with the main topic being the sun that has been weakening and about to fizzle turning the Earth into an icicle and complete darkness.
But, there’s hope for this family as they have been promised safety in caves the government has secured. When darkness arrives and their father cannot get through to the senator who’s supposed to send transportation get them, things turn to back biting and confrontations.
The idea behind the film is an excellent one, but though the year’s similar plots have used it to create thrillers. It’s been some time since however, yet Director Batan Silva still has his work cut out for him to make this one special. To make his film work he creates an atmosphere of doubt and despair before getting to the meat of the film. Unfortunately it’s a bit frivolous and turns his morbid build up into a guilt trip.
After Darkness has been rated R by the MPAA for brief disturbing images and some language. The film also contains violence and brutality.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Sci-fi buffs may get some value out of the film. (2 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: John Patrick Amedori, Roberto Aguire, Valerie Curry, Tim Daly, Natalia Dyer and Kyra Sedgwick, also Christina Mandrell, Sam Daly
Director: Batan Silva
MPAA Rating: R for brief disturbing images and some language. Also contains violence and brutality
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Sci-fi
Running Time: 1 hr. 38 min.
Video Release Date: January 15, 2019
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: 16×9, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 disc
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released in: DVD, VOD and Digital HD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
