A budding teenager finds her life isn’t exactly what it’s meant to be in his thriller from filmmaker Andres Rovira.
The Grady family, consisting of patriarch Roy, daughter Sprout, and son Percy, head to their secluded cabin in the woods on the one-year anniversary of daughter Magda’s death. Sprout has just turned 13-years old and she begins to experience something strange in the woods near the cabin. When Sprout goes out into the woods, she sees a monster known as a Gorgon and she begins to worry. As the experiences get even more stronger, she is not sure what to think.
However, as her father tells her not to enter the woods after experiencing a seizure to which she claims was the Gorgon’s responsibility, she finds herself in a bind. This is apparent when she notices her father having an interest in park ranger Stella. However, Sprout’s father has told her not to go after any boys because it’s not allowed. A shocking revelation soon forces Sprout to make a life-altering decision.
Terror films these days can be very slow building in terms of tension then it jumps and hits you in the throat. Andres Rovira wrote and directed this film, revolving around a family whose lives slowly unravel when they go to their cabin near the woods on their annual trip. This is more than a tense thriller that evokes the likes of religion and Greek gods, but it is also a coming-of-age films in terms of the character of Sprout, who finds herself at a crossroads when her life is not what it seems.
Nicole Moorea Sherman is wonderful to watch as Sprout, who slowly comes to grips with reality and how her own reality is not exactly what it seems. She thrives in becoming a warrior like the Greek gods that her father raised her into knowing about and has religion invoked in her life through her father, played by Lew Temple. Temple is very shocking to watch as he invokes his character like a religious fanatic who tries to do what he can to convince Sprout that nothing is what he she thinks it is. However, it is clear that later in the film, from the moment he runs through the woods barenaked, there is something seriously wrong with this dad.
Horror film veteran Danielle Harris brings some interesting support as park ranger Stella, who like Temple’s Roy, is a widow and has some sort of bond to him. As they grow closer, Sprout begins to worry and at the same time, under her father’s influence, warns her that a relationship is not allowed. However, Harris sticks to her guns when it comes to her budding relationship with Roy. However, seeing what happens to Roy as the film progresses, the film does bring a bit of predictability. Despite what’s expected, the final fifteen minutes does add a bit of shock value and twists that will make the film have a sort of full circle rift to it.
Between the Darkness is a well-made meshing of horror film and coming-of-age film that may be a bit predictable but adds a bit of the unpredictable as well.
WFG RATING: B
A Miller/Datri Pictures production. Director: Andres Rovira. Producer: Colby Reed Miller. Writer: Andres Rovira. Cinematography: Madeline Berger. Editing: Andres Rovira.
Cast: Lew Temple, Danielle Harris, Nicole Moorea Sherman, Tate Birchmore, Max Page, Daniela Leon.
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