Darkness
Genre: Sci-Fi/Suspense
Director: Osgood Perkins
Writer: Jack Slipter
Cast: Maika Monroe, Camila Mendes, Cara Buono, Lizzy Greene
Plot: The camera moves slowly through a dense, dark forest lit only by a faint moonlight filtering through the branches of the trees. The atmosphere is freezing, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees is interrupted only by the footsteps of a little girl. A little girl of around seven wearing a red jacket that seems to be too big for her walks slowly, sinking into the fresh snow with each step while her labored breathing is visible in the cold air. The little girl walks slowly, hugging her jacket to seek warmth. A sudden noise behind her makes her jump. She turns sharply as the noise seems to be getting closer but she only sees shadows moving through the trees. Suddenly, a flash of bright light explodes in front of her, illuminating the forest for an instant. Joan closes her eyes, blinded by the light, and then everything goes out. The little girl begins to scream in despair calling for her parents. As she walks and tries to orient herself in the dark, panic overwhelms her as the noise behind her gets closer and closer. Something moves in the dark and just when it seems like something is about to grab her from behind, she snaps her eyes open.
The sound of an alarm clock echoes in the room. Joan (Maika Monroe), still breathing hard, realizes that it was just a nightmare, one of her usual nightmares. Joan, sweating, huffs deeply, trying to calm down. She turns to turn off the alarm on the nightstand as her gaze falls on a small night lamp turned on next to the bed where there is a stack of medical books among which the first one talks about the disease Joan suffers from called Achromatopsia. Joan's face can be seen relaxing slightly at the sight of the light and then she slowly gets up from the bed and heads for the bathroom. Joan turns on the bathroom light, and the room is bathed in a cold light as she walks over to the mirror and looks at her reflection. At this we see the world through Joan's eyes: the bathroom is devoid of color, everything appears in black and white. Joan runs her hands over her face, washing her face, and then looks up and stares at her eyes in the mirror for a moment.
The apartment, located in a residential neighborhood in Chicago, is furnished in a modern way, with clean and minimalist lines. However, the atmosphere is made special by the presence of numerous lamps and night lights distributed perfectly in every corner of the apartment. By doing so, there are no visible shadows and every possible dark corner is illuminated by a small warm and soft light. Joan stands on a chair with a concentrated face while she is busy placing another light on a high shelf. When the light is positioned exactly as she wants, she gets off the chair and turns it on. She steps back a few steps to check that the new light adequately covers the desired area. Then she nods with a big smile. Meanwhile, her best friend and roommate Sharon (Camila Mendes) watches Joan from the kitchen while holding a cup of steaming coffee in her hands. Although she tries to maintain a relaxed attitude, her face betrays a mixture of concern and understanding. Sharon looks down and shakes her head slightly, resigned, as Joan moves from the chair to the couch, turning on another small table lamp. Joan sits on the couch and picks up a book, checking once again that everything is properly lit. The room is bathed in a warm light without even a shadow visible.
The television, turned on to a local news program, is broadcasting in the background. The reporter is talking about strange weather phenomena and inexplicable blackouts that are affecting different parts of the city. Sharon, attracted by the news, looks up at the screen. Her face stiffens slightly, as she thinks about the consequences of a blackout in a house like theirs. Joan, on the other hand, is absorbed in reading the book and doesn't seem to pay much attention to what is being said on TV. Her mind is focused on the environment around her, checking every now and then with the corner of her eye that no lights suddenly go out. Sharon continues to watch the TV for a few moments, thinking, then approaches Joan, who however does not look up from the book. Sharon stops behind her, hesitates for a moment and then gives her a kiss on the head. The two start to chat and joke with each other and then get ready to go out to finish the last shopping and Christmas presents. In the meantime outside the window the sky appears gloomy with dark clouds that announce that perhaps a storm is coming.
The two girls, after spending the day out and about, return home with a pizza from the corner store. The apartment is quiet, lit by several night lights scattered around the house. After dinner, Joan sits on the couch, immersed in her book, while Sharon is busy washing the dishes while humming a song. The television is on, showing a program that neither of them is actually watching. Suddenly, without warning, all the lights in the apartment go out at the same time. The entire apartment is plunged into total darkness. Joan immediately stiffens, dropping the book. Her breathing becomes rapid and labored as panic begins to overcome her. In the darkness, her hand desperately tries to find the flashlight that she always keeps close to her, but she can't find it. Meanwhile, Sharon remains still for a moment, trying to understand what has happened. Then, slowly, she moves through the darkness toward the living room, trying to orient herself with her hands outstretched in front of her. A sudden clang of metal sounds like a plate falling, followed by the sound of something breaking. Joan, now in a panic, finally finds the flashlight and turns it on, but the light is dim and flickering. Joan stands up from the couch with both hands holding the flashlight, which is visibly shaking. The dim light partially illuminates the room, revealing only blurry shadows and indistinct outlines. Joan moves slowly toward the kitchen, looking for Sharon. Her steps are slow and uncertain, every sound amplified by the silence. Reaching the kitchen, Joan finds Sharon bending down to pick up the pieces of a broken plate. Sharon turns to her and they exchange a brief smile. Another sudden noise comes from the front door, as if something or someone has bumped into it. Joan whirls toward the door, the flashlight flickering toward the entrance, but the dim light fails to penetrate the darkness more than a few feet. Sharon approaches the door, trying not to make a sound, while Joan stays behind, frozen in terror. Sharon strains to understand what is happening and the noise repeats itself, this time louder, as if something is trying to get in. Joan takes a step back and suddenly, a piercing scream comes from outside. The two women remain still as the silence is broken by another noise, this time closer, just behind the door. Joan shines the flashlight towards the entrance, the weak light flickers, revealing only a dark shadow that moves furtively in the darkness but they realize that it is not outside but inside the house.
Sharon steps back a few steps stopping next to Joan and with her hand she touches Joan's arm to reassure her but both are scared and confused. At that moment there is another noise, this time coming from the living room. The two women turn sharply, Joan's flashlight follows the movement, but it only illuminates the void and the shadows on the walls. The noise repeats itself, louder and closer. Joan takes a step back, trying not to scream. Sharon looks at her, her eyes communicating a hastily made decision: she must act. Without saying a word, Sharon moves toward the kitchen, opening a drawer in search of a weapon. She finds a kitchen knife, grabs it with force, and moves back toward Joan. Sharon, knife in hand, slowly approaches the living room, trying not to make any noise, while Joan stays behind, the flashlight still flickering in her hand. The noise is now clearly coming from behind the couch.
Sharon slowly approaches, holding the knife ready to strike. Suddenly, a dark figure comes to life and moves rapidly behind the couch. Sharon screams, raising the knife to defend herself, but the figure strikes her with superhuman strength, knocking her to the floor as the knife slips from her hand, bouncing noisily across the floor. Joan screams in terror, as the flashlight falls from her hand and rolls away, extinguishing on impact. The apartment is now plunged into total darkness again, but a moment later a bloodcurdling scream fills the air. Joan, paralyzed with fear, crouches on the floor, covering her head with her hands, trying to block out the sounds and terror that surrounds her. She can't see anything, but she can feel the presence of something near her, something evil, moving in the darkness. Then everything stops and an unnatural silence falls on the room. Joan, terrified, remains still, listening to every little sound but the apartment is now immersed in total silence as if the danger has passed. Joan opens her eyes, but sees only darkness and desperately searches for the flashlight, but can't find it. Finally, she gets up and tries to orient herself in the total darkness.
She forces herself to move, fumbling for the flashlight she lost earlier. Her shaking hands touch the floor, but they can’t find anything. Suddenly, she hears a soft, almost imperceptible noise coming from the hallway. Joan stiffens, holding her breath. Something is moving in the darkness, something large, slowly approaching her. The footsteps are strangely rhythmic, as if the creature is taking its time getting closer. Joan forces herself to move silently toward the front door as her hands finally meet a smooth surface, the knife Sharon had lost earlier. In the pitch black, the girl advances with the makeshift weapon as she whispers Sharon’s name, her mind racing, trying to figure out what she’s up against. Suddenly, another noise comes from her left, and Joan whirls around, brandishing the knife. Something moves near her, a whisper in the darkness, and Joan screams, lashing out with the knife. A moment later, she hears a faint moan that she recognizes immediately: Sharon. She drops the knife, her hands shaking uncontrollably, and kneels, trying to find Sharon in the darkness. But Sharon is no longer responding.
Moments later, Joan is kneeling beside Sharon, her friend's body still, lifeless. Joan is paralyzed with grief and remorse, her blood-stained hands clutching her friend. Joan remains kneeling beside Sharon's body, her hands still clutching her friend's shoulders and visibly shaking as tears begin to roll down her face. Suddenly, a sudden whisper jolts Joan and brings her back to sad reality. Her mind, clouded by terror and pain, struggles to distinguish what is real from what could be the product of her imagination. Instinctively, she looks around, trying to perceive the source of the noise. The shadows surrounding the room seem to move near her as if they were coming to life.
With great mental effort, she forces herself to lift herself off the ground, removing her hands from Sharon's now dead body. Her movements are slow, almost mechanical, as she tries to maintain her balance in the midst of total darkness. Joan moves gropingly, desperately trying to find a point of reference in the midst of that darkness.
Finally, her hands touch the cold wall of the corridor. Joan follows her, slowly advancing towards the front door. Joan holds her breath, trying not to let fear overcome her as the whispers and noises are all around her.
Joan reaches the door, her shaking hands searching for the handle, but a sudden noise behind her makes her turn sharply. It is pitch black but Joan can clearly feel the presence of something, something slowly approaching. Suddenly, a flash of blinding white light fills the room. Joan instinctively closes her eyes, but the intensity of the light is so intense that it seems to pass through her eyelids. The creature, whatever it is, emits a low, menacing sound, a roar that makes the air around Joan vibrate. Joan then tries to open the door, but the handle seems stuck, immobile under her desperate grip. The light, suddenly, disappears, leaving her immersed in the deepest darkness once again.
Then, with a final effort, she manages to unlock the door and throws it open with force, throwing herself out of the apartment and finding herself in the hallway of the building lit by the dim light of the emergency bulbs. For a moment she stops under one of those lights that seem to give her some comfort until she realizes that they are slowly running out of power.
Joan runs without looking back as she reaches the stairs and runs down. Finally she reaches the entrance of the building and rushes out into the cold Chicago night. Outside, the city is wrapped in a strange calm and the streets are deserted despite the confusion in the street between empty cars and deserted shops. Joan, still shaking, almost thinks she is completely alone but does not dare to go back. The city is dark with a few flashes of light caused by some neon signs or other small random lights. She starts walking, without a precise destination until she sees in the distance a man walking staggering and definitely in a state of confusion. As he gets closer she notices that he has a shadow that follows him and seems to attack him and he reacts by punching and kicking the void without being able to see the enemy. She, managing to see the evil shadow, tries to warn the man but he is dragged away into a dark alley without being able to do much.
She stops almost confused and a moment later a hand covers her mouth and pulls her into a shop with lit candles with the window smashed by a taxi probably hours before. Also sitting on a chair is her daughter Jasmine (Lizzy Greene). The lady takes her hands away from her mouth introducing herself as Bette (Cara Buono) and good-naturedly scolds the girl about the fact that she was dazed in the street while everything is falling apart. The girl tries to explain what happened but the woman is busy looking for snacks for the girl and cleaning her from the blood. Joan takes a few steps toward the window and carefully opens her eyes and notices that through her black and white world caused by her illness she can see those shadows. From Jasmine and Bette's words she realizes that no one can see them.
Joan slowly steps back from the window. Bette watches her with an inquisitive look while Jasmine, the young teenager, remains seated in the chair with an expression of tired resignation. Bette approaches Joan and hands her a packet of crackers and a bottle of water, insisting that the girl sit down and eat something. Bette, noticing Joan's state, sits down next to her and tries to reassure her. She explains that everything started a few hours ago, with a sudden blackout followed by the appearance of the shadows. No one, except Joan, seems to be able to see them, but everyone senses their presence and danger. Joan, still shocked, tries to explain that due to a visual condition she sees everything in black and white, but those dark and evil shadows are clear to her eyes. Jasmine, curious, comes closer to listen better, while Bette tries to remain calm. Bette reflects on what Joan said, realizing that the girl's ability to see the shadows may be the only hope to understand how to avoid or deal with them. Although Joan feels overwhelmed by the situation, Bette insists on the importance of sticking together and finding a way to survive.
As they argue, Joan begins to hear a hissing sound coming from outside. The noise grows in intensity, causing Joan to tense, warning the others of the impending danger. Bette quickly stands up and closes the curtains of the broken glass case, leaving the room lit only by candles. Joan clutches the knife Bette gave her as she moves closer to Jasmine, offering almost silent protection. A cold wave sweeps through the room, extinguishing most of the candles. Joan whirls around, trying to see if there is anything in the darkness. Through her black-and-white vision, she notices a dark, indistinct figure slowly approaching.The creature makes a guttural sound, and Joan raises her knife, pointing it at the menacing figure. The creature suddenly lunges at her with surprising speed. Joan screams and plunges the knife into the darkness, but the creature seems to escape her, as if it were made of smoke. Bette approaches it but they both know that the danger is not over.
Suddenly, without warning, the shadow manifests itself again, this time with even more violent force. It materializes near Jasmine without the young girl having time to react. The shadow, wrapped in a halo of darkness, emits a chilling sound and launches itself at Jasmine, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her towards it with superhuman strength. Jasmine screams, trying to free herself, but her strength is useless against that evil presence. Bette tries to grab Jasmine to tear her from the shadow, but is struck by an invisible force that makes her fall backwards, hitting violently against the wall. Joan lunges at the shadow, brandishing the knife in both hands. Her hands are shaking, but her grip is firm. She strikes the shadow with all the strength she can muster. The knife seems to pierce the darkness as if it were thick, almost tangible, and Joan can feel a resistance beneath the blade. The shadow lets out a shrill scream that seems to shake the entire room. Jasmine is released from its grip and collapses to the floor, while the shadow begins to shake and writhe. Joan doesn't stop and continues to strike, sinking the knife into that dark figure, until the shadow explodes in a cloud of black smoke, which quickly dissolves into the air.
Joan remains there, kneeling on the floor, with the knife still in her hand while Jasmine slowly gets up as Bette hugs her daughter thanking Joan who appears with a determined face that she has never had in her life. The three women know that they can't stay there, they must continue to move, venturing into that Chicago night that seems to never end.
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