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622:(1893). The breakdown of family relationships (especially the father's ancestry) are reflected in the "increasing evidence of evil" within the house. Davies also sees the film's representation of a haunted house as "part of a wider Gothic mode" both in Spanish cinema and beyond, which "tap into memories and reflections of traumas that are unconfined by national boundaries."
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then takes the form of Regina and Paul, convincing their mother to turn off the lights. The darkness kills Maria, and then takes the form of Regina's friend Carlos, who picks them up in his car; shortly after they leave, the real Carlos arrives at the house, and is called inside by the darkness, manifesting as Regina's voice. Carlos'
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love Mark. Waiting 40 years, he has brought Mark and his family to the house with the intention of completing the ritual during this eclipse. Regina also discovers the target is not Paul but still Mark, who is to be sacrificed by "hands that love him." As Regina laments, Albert realizes her true love
604:
praised the film's cinematography, but criticized its script: "Although director
Balaguero displays a talent for spooky visuals and creating an atmosphere of quietly simmering tension, his screenplay (co-written by Fernando de Felipe) is a compendium of barely connected scenes that ultimately lapse
344:
As Paul becomes more scared and their father continues to mentally deteriorate, Regina eventually figures out it must have something to do with their home where the power is lost every day. With the help of her new friend, Carlos, the two eventually meet the man, Villalobos, who designed the house,
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on him, but is unable to bring herself to make the cut. In a panic, Regina does it instead, but Mark bleeds out and dies when the supernatural forces within the house hide the pen tube needed to complete the procedure. Since Regina genuinely loved Mark, the ritual is finally complete. The darkness
569:, which crept into theaters nationwide on Christmas Day, tries to spook holiday revelers with a guessing game about which member of a handsome American family, relocated to Spain, will kill another. But the real mystery is why such a mangled film was not junked altogether."
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similarly noted the film as containing elements of a "a disturbing family drama," adding that it is "at its best when exploring Dad's bouts with his inner demons - but it's quickly stifled by tired attempts to jolt the audience and more narrative dead-ends.
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2004, which was a
Saturday. It was the seventh highest earner that weekend with $ 6.1 million (at $ 3,625 average per theater), earning over half of its budget over two days. The following week, it dropped to tenth highest earner with $ 4.6 million.
337:, which also causes him to become increasingly mentally unstable. Regina is not only worried about him, but also Paul who is now scared of the dark for the first time. The young boy has reason for that, however, as there seems to be some sort of
488:
The film premiered in Spain on 3 October 2002, and was then given a wide release there on 11 October. It was released in a number of
European countries throughout 2003, and was then sold to Miramax Films, but was shelved for nearly two years.
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that only occurs every forty years. With the next one quickly approaching, and now armed with the knowledge that the earlier occult ritual needs one more death to be completed, Regina races to make sure that Paul is not the final victim.
29:
326:. The mother, Maria, wants to get the place in order, while the father, Mark, goes to work, and their children, teenager Regina and her younger brother Paul, try to settle into their daily routines.
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also gave the film a middling review, writing: "Moments hint at a metaphoric statement on child abuse, but the film proves mainly to be a commentary on poor electrical wiring." Bilge Ebiri of
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Stopping first at her grandfather Albert's house to warn him as well, Regina finds out that her grandfather is, in fact, a member of the cult which has been performing these
303:-rated cut on December 25, 2004. The film was widely panned by critics, but was a commercial success, earning $ 34.4 million worldwide on a budget of $ 10.6 million.
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seven children, the seventh child being none other than Regina's father, Mark. Albert did not sacrifice his son because at the last minute he realized that he did
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beneath his bed. Furthermore, there are instances when six ghostly figures of children are seen standing in the shadows and darkness, watching the family.
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for
American distribution in 2003, but ended up being put on hiatus for over a year; it was eventually released in United States theaters in an edited,
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Regina races back to her home to find her father in the midst of another attack, choking on pills as the eclipse begins. Maria tries to perform a
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It helps that Mark's doctor-father, Albert Rua has furnished them with their residence and is nearby, especially when Mark begins to suffer from
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The film premiered in Spain on
October 3, 2002, and was released in theaters across the country eight days later on October 11. It was sold to
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was clearly tossed together like salad in the editing room, since it’s little more than the sum of its unshocking shock cuts." David
Blaylock
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539:, it received an average rating of 15/100 based on 16 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike." It received an average rating of "F" on
285:. The film's plot follows an American family who move into a house in the Spanish countryside, where six children disappeared during an
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branch, in a heavily censored
Miramax-mandated PG-13 version. It was given an even later release in the United Kingdom, in March 2005.
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awarded the film one out of four stars, deeming it "trite and flat," and "too mechanical to be persuasive or scary." Ned Martel of
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for her father. He suddenly frees her to return to the house, aware that she will be able to unknowingly carry out the ritual.
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forty years before; the teenage daughter and young son of the family are subjected to increasing disturbances in the house.
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said the film is "a horror movie so vague about the nightmare it’s spinning, it seems scared of its own shadows...
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Spanish
Fantastic, The: Contemporary Filmmaking in Horror, Fantasy and Sci-fi (World Cinema)
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resulted in the disappearance of six young children, the Rua family has moved from the
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rituals. Her grandfather explains that in the ritual forty years ago, there actually
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of seven children (each sacrificed by "hands that love them") to coincide with an
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It was eventually theatrically released on 25 December 2004 in the US, via
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eventually earned $ 34.4 million worldwide, with a $ 10.6 million budget.
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909:"Is an "F" from CinemaScore Actually a Good Thing? Our Critics Weigh In"
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and learn that it was built for a supernatural ritual requiring the
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drives Regina and Paul into a dark tunnel, implying their doom.
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into a new, never-before inhabited house in the countryside of
883:"The 8 Films of All Time to Receive an F from CinemaScore"
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Despite many negative reviews and very little promotion,
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it has an approval rating of 5% based on 57 reviews. On
1138:"The Gothic House: Problematising the National Space"
946:. Los Angeles, California – via Newspapers.com.
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507:still did moderately well at the United States
281:. The film was produced by Julio Fernández and
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966:"A Mansion in Spain Where Mainly Evil Reigns"
531:was panned by both critics and audiences. On
8:
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1221:
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907:Dowd, A. A.; Rife, Katie (April 3, 2020).
711:Monush, Barry; Willis, John, eds. (2005).
471:had sold U.S. distribution rights to both
27:
18:
1466:Films with screenplays by Jaume Balagueró
205:88 minutes (PG-13 US theatrical version)
648:
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1107:
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802:
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1061:from the original on 29 January 2019
1018:Blaylock, David (28 December 2004).
333:again due to the progression of his
992:Gleiberman, Owen (5 January 2005).
430:as Man Sleeping on Bus (uncredited)
1411:American supernatural horror films
1080:Scheck, Frank (26 December 2004).
467:In October 2000, it was announced
14:
1476:Spanish supernatural horror films
1451:Films directed by Jaume Balagueró
1047:Ebiri, Bilge (24 December 2004).
757:from the original on June 7, 2024
964:Martel, Ned (27 December 2004).
949:
776:Jones, J.R. (26 December 2004).
637:List of films featuring eclipses
608:Professor Ann Davies wrote that
311:Forty years after an unfinished
1431:English-language Spanish films
714:Screen World: 2005 Film Annual
619:The Fall of the House of Usher
1:
1486:English-language horror films
686:Rowan-Legg, Shelagh (2021) .
632:List of Spanish films of 2002
612:shares similarities with the
1406:American haunted house films
1396:2000s English-language films
455:(1980) as key influences on
424:Fermin Reixach as Villalobos
1471:Spanish haunted house films
1416:Castelao Producciones films
1142:Contemporary Spanish Gothic
751:"Dimension nabs horror duo"
717:. Hal Leonard Corporation.
475:and Balagueró's prior film
421:Stephan Enquist as Paul Rua
182:December 25, 2004
1502:
1146:Edinburgh University Press
167:October 11, 2002
1251:
1154:10.1515/9781474403009-006
26:
1461:Films shot in Barcelona
1144:. Edinburgh, Scotland:
690:. Bloomsbury Academic.
16:Film by Jaume Balagueró
1481:Religious horror films
1456:Films set in Barcelona
394:as Regina "Reggie" Rua
1426:Dimension Films films
446:The Amityville Horror
1446:Films about Satanism
1386:2000s American films
1172:10.3366/j.ctt1g0513v
1136:Davies, Ann (2016).
1082:"Review: 'Darkness'"
1036:on 29 December 2004.
998:Entertainment Weekly
936:(28 December 2004).
667:on November 28, 2020
576:Entertainment Weekly
335:Huntington's disease
1391:2000s Spanish films
1148:. pp. 84–110.
605:into incoherence."
339:supernatural entity
1441:Films about curses
1243:Films directed by
971:The New York Times
938:"'Darkness' falls"
863:www.metacritic.com
562:The New York Times
511:. It was released
410:Giancarlo Giannini
275:Giancarlo Giannini
110:Sylvia Steinbrecht
93:Giancarlo Giannini
54:Fernando de Felipe
33:Promotional poster
1401:2002 horror films
1363:
1362:
1329:Rec 4: Apocalypse
1163:978-1-474-40300-9
1049:"Breaking Ground"
1029:The Village Voice
943:Los Angeles Times
833:"Darkness (2004)"
808:"Darkness (2004)"
586:The Village Voice
549:Los Angeles Times
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132:Fantastic Factory
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1093:30 September
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1063:. Retrieved
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244:
231:$ 11 million
203:102 minutes
199:Running time
175: (Spain)
118:Carles Cases
1321:Sleep Tight
1120:Davies 2016
1108:Davies 2016
892:29 December
753:. Variety.
738:Davies 2016
541:CinemaScore
452:The Shining
449:(1979) and
443:noted that
428:David Martí
406:as Mark Rua
392:Anna Paquin
375:tracheotomy
283:Brian Yuzna
263:Anna Paquin
255:horror film
190: (U.S.)
78:Anna Paquin
65:Brian Yuzna
59:Produced by
39:Directed by
1381:2004 films
1376:2002 films
1370:Categories
1065:29 January
994:"Darkness"
887:Pajiba.com
868:2023-12-07
859:"Darkness"
844:2020-08-08
778:"Darkness"
657:"Darkness"
643:References
537:Metacritic
509:box office
435:Production
250:is a 2002
236:Box office
186:2004-12-25
171:2002-10-11
124:Production
49:Written by
1345:The Vault
524:Reception
439:Director
418:as Carlos
404:Iain Glen
398:Lena Olin
347:sacrifice
271:Iain Glen
267:Lena Olin
210:Countries
126:companies
88:Iain Glen
83:Lena Olin
1277:Darkness
1208:AllMovie
1203:Darkness
1192:Darkness
1059:Archived
1022:Darkness
918:April 3,
755:Archived
626:See also
610:Darkness
581:Darkness
567:Darkness
565:noted: "
529:Darkness
518:Darkness
505:Darkness
473:Darkness
457:Darkness
331:seizures
247:Darkness
220:Language
115:Music by
71:Starring
22:Darkness
1291:Fragile
1130:Sources
1087:Variety
761:June 7,
601:Variety
494:Miramax
463:Release
359:satanic
351:eclipse
223:English
184: (
169: (
149:(Spain)
1356:(2022)
1348:(2021)
1340:(2017)
1332:(2014)
1324:(2011)
1316:(2010)
1310:(2009)
1302:(2007)
1294:(2005)
1286:(2002)
1280:(2002)
1272:(1999)
1264:(1995)
1258:(1994)
1256:Alícia
1170:
1160:
721:
694:
616:story
469:Filmax
316:ritual
313:occult
290:ritual
287:occult
228:Budget
213:Spain
147:Filmax
1353:Venus
1307:Rec 2
1168:JSTOR
553:'
324:Spain
301:PG-13
1337:Muse
1314:Fear
1197:IMDb
1158:ISBN
1095:2015
1067:2019
1005:2015
979:2015
920:2020
894:2014
819:2015
789:2015
763:2024
719:ISBN
692:ISBN
673:2022
546:The
386:Cast
363:were
307:Plot
277:and
1299:REC
1206:at
1195:at
1150:doi
661:bfi
573:of
496:'s
481:to
367:not
1372::
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797:^
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273:,
269:,
265:,
1236:e
1229:t
1222:v
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