Don't Be Afraid of the Dark vs. The Hunter

smatticus

on 5/10/2014

Might as well give an introductory overview of Don't be Afraid of the Dark as I've just seen it and this match-up is as good as any. Considering a tidal wave of recent horror films which are entirely comprised of jump scares, unoriginal design and set pieces, overused cliches and horrible acting/writing/directing (pretty much anything done by James Wan post-Saw, Paranormal Activity, Insidious etc), DbAofD is actually not a bad film. It has some classic del Toro-esque production design, some decent suspenseful set pieces and a couple of genuine shocks, particularly around the middle and the climax. Best of all though, the acting between the two female leads is thoroughly convincing and pretty engaging as a step-mother/step-daughter couple. Katie Holmes actually pulls off a suitably conflicted but tender performance, while Bailee Madison stands out in a market of boring/bland/bratty/disinterested/whiny/screaming child actors (particularly in horror) as someone who is visibly scared, confused and frustrated, but nevertheless sympathetic and actually quite likeable, and for that alone the film is worth at least one viewing. But what holds it back from being genuinely good are a long list of plot-holes which, while I was willing to let them slide on first viewing, are pretty obvious, a monster design which is a little creepy at first but which becomes much less intimidating the more the monsters are exposed (which is far too much by good horror film standards), the monsters M.O., which is so unbelievably silly and laughable that it makes Gremlins look subtle, plus some pretty comic writing moments that drain whatever threat the monsters had going for them ("we want YOU!!!! XD). So overall, a film with plenty of potential that clearly demonstrated aptitude as far as acting and character development (del Toro's influence I would imagine), but brought down by some pretty poor directing choices and some silly writing. Hunter is not without its problems, and tries to juggle more plot elements than it can handle, many of which involve some unnecessarily awkward, out-of-place scenes and ultimately lead to little or absolutely nothing (the dysfunctional family, the hippies), but it more than makes up for it with stunning cinematography, a brilliantly understated performance from Willem Defoe, and some genuinely thought-provoking questions about the nature of extinction, conservation and man-vs-the environment. DbAotD was at least refreshing in parts, but it has nothing on Hunter.