“A Coming Of Age Psychological Movie Where Innocence Melts Into Impurity!”

By Adam Cook

Recently I had the surprise opportunity to be presented a movie to review directly from a company associated with it. It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. I hadn’t heard of this movie until it was sent to me. I didn’t see promotions online or on television. Going into this movie blindly was risky yet exciting. It’s nice to not be given a head’s up on a film through various fan sites who inadvertently or deliberately  post spoilers. Without further ado, I’d like to present to you my review of a movie that is coming out very soon titled Between The Darkness.

Between The Darkness stars Lew Temple of The Walking Dead as Roy Grady, a single father raising his two young children, his just turned thirteen daughter, Sprout (Nicole Moorea Sherman) and impressionable son Percy (Tate Birchmore). They live in a house they refer to as the sanctuary which is in the remote countryside of California, away from all the noise of the city. They are trying to move on in their lives after the untimely death of the eldest daughter Magda (Daniela Leon). Their lives have been stricken to a religion based on Greek Mythology and Buddhism. From the start of the movie, Sprout hears heavy breathing and has nightmares about not only her sister, but of a monster referred to as a “gorgon.” There is a link between these two occurrences that Sprout is determined to find the answers for which result in revelations that would change the family forever.

Written and directed by Andres Rovira, Between The Darkness is a well paced psychological thriller that starts out in isolation and control, but starts to crack in the middle and breaks out with various emotions and freedom. Through clever use of foreshadowing, haunting visuals and an unsettling musical score, Rovira paints a picture of how everything around you isn’t quite as it seems. It doesn’t rely on cheap scares or coded dialogue to get you to think too hard that would cause you to not enjoy this movie. Instead, it tells you through the visuals and actions from the characters as to what is happening as what to possibly expect. Rovira also uses the familiar horror concept of not revealing too much of the monster as you only see spurts of the gorgon. The fact that it is covered in the darkness of shadows makes it even more terrifying to believe.

The small ensemble is perfect for this kind of movie as each character is given a part that is significant to the plot. Lew Temple does an amazing performance as Roy Grady, a man who is bound by his convictions and tries to be the best father he can be by keeping his children in line with his faith and teachings, but like every devout servant is led into temptation that could corrupt their very soul. Temple puts on a happy face, but underneath it is a twisted grin that’s begging to be unleashed. His performance is similar in nature to Jack Torrance in The Shining, but on the maniac level as it was in that movie. Scream Queen legend Danielle Harris appears in the co-star role as forest ranger Stella Woodhouse who becomes friends with the family and occasional drops off her son for playtime. Harris is beautiful and charming. She thinks fondly of the Gradys as they are not “normal people.” She is the temptress that haunts Roy’s dreams. Nicole Moorea Sherman is the highlight of the film as Sprout. She is creative and imaginative when she is out entertaining herself, but methodical and cautious as the story ventures on. I think we’ll be seeing her in many films to come.

As I mentioned before, the film does not rely on cheap scares or insane amounts of blood and gore. It’s atmosphere and characters that give the movie life. The climax does suffer in predictability and unoriginality, but not in a way for audience members to throw their hands up in the air in disgust.

Between The Darkness is the surprise horror flick of the year. It’s movie that explores the challenges that we go through on an everyday basis as well as the fragility of the human mind and soul. It reminds us that no matter how pure we may be, we are all sinners.

Between The Darkness will be released onto digital streaming platforms (Amazon, Video on Demand,  Vudu, AT&T, Google Play, Sling/Dish, DIRECTV) August 20th!

*Photos courtesy of DarkCoast. All Rights Reserved .