Dark Remains is a praiseworthy fright fest helmed by up-and-coming director Brian Avenet-Bradley. Though by no means a masterpiece, the work provides its viewer with a taunt atmosphere before exploiting his or her vulnerability in the wake of a committed storyline or professional acting.
Allen (Greg Thompson, a visual hybrid of Billy Bob Thornton and Hugo Weaving) and his wife, Julie (Cheri Christian), move from Atlanta into the country in hopes of distancing themselves from the recent murder of their daughter, Emma (Rachel Jordan). However, Cheri begins seeing anomalous effigies and hearing disembodied voices as Allen discovers that the previous tenants of the cabin in which the couple are staying were victims to suicide–as were many local townspeople–all of which died on May 22. As the ominous date draws near, Allen attempts to convince Julie to leave the cottage, yet she is unwilling, stating that she is unwilling to leave Emma again.
The essence of Dark Remains is its atmosphere and suspense. Avenet-Bradley creates and maintains such on a level comparable to that of many an infamous J-horror flick, which is no small deed considering that Dark Remains is an independent feature from a bourgeoning filmmaker. This is accomplished, in part, due to the director’s alignment of a gaggle of “boo moments” alongside the superb score by Benedikt Brydern, atop the very impressive manner in which said instances of instantaneous fright are issued–not as rote and trite occurrences of a character walking, unbeknownst to another character onscreen, in the background (though we do have one)–but in a variety of highly creative fashions and guises, including photographs, mirrors, and the like.
Of similar note, Avenet-Bradley does a fairly admirable job of leaving his audience contemplating whether or not the specters in question actually exist or are the mere products of various characters’ unstable mindsets due to heightened circumstances. Unfortunately, thought the director introduces with this potentially strong motif, he abandons it midway through the feature. Furthermore, he eschews seriously positing either of Emma’s parents as being the coveted child murder, which would have lent a large degree of impending dread to the proceedings.
Though, as masterful of a job as Avenet-Bradley does in providing his audience with almost an entire hour-and-a-half of sphincter-shriveling suspense, it must be stated that Dark Remains sorely lacks the prime components of characterization and plot.
Fortunately, Avenet-Bradley is mindful of the metaphorical import that a haunted narrative provides (a sign hangs ever-so-coyly on the leading couple’s porch, which reads “Scenic Overlook,” à la Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining)–that of the haunting being a reflection of the characters’ predicament–we are never forced to sympathize with anyone onscreen, even as we watch as Allen and Julie’s marriage, which is obviously crumbling–the catalyst of which is Julie blaming Allen for their daughter’s death–as the couple’s bond comes to resemble that of the cabin’s former occupants, Doug (Doug Hammond) and Rachel Roberts (Rachael Rollings), both of which committed suicide. This is not to imply that character recognition is a necessary component of a narrative but, in regards to a haunted house picture, such is an invaluable asset. Granted, Avenet-Bradley seemed to have been aiming to present the character of Julie as damaged to the extent of childlike naivety, similar to that of Carole Ledoux in Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, yet he doesn’t stalwartly establish this ends, which leaves Allen, in his dominance over his wife, as overbearing instead of overly concerned.
In respect to the storyline, Dark Remains is a rare breed in that, as an independent feature, it runs overlong, which subsequently depletes the prowess of the epiphany that the twist ending intends to provide. The other facet of the film which sorely detracts from the feature is that the acting throughout is extremely self-conscious, especially in the performances given by the secondary cast, while poor dialogue further exacerbates Avenet-Bradley’s cinematic affair.
Dark Remains is a very commendable affair despite its shortcomings. I cannot help but think that, given the filmmaker’s gift for creating and sustaining an atmosphere and mood in the wake of a storyline, that perhaps Brian Avenet-Bradley would be better suited in the role of producer. However, given time, he will undoubtedly attempt to compensate for such shortcomings considering that such criticism is not the first to be directed towards him. Bottom line, Dark Remains is a steadfast feature which leaves the viewer intrigued at the prospect of what the director will issue us in the upcoming years.
-Egregious Gurnow
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
