vttmishere Review of Dark Signal

Dark Signal (2016)

Flawed thriller worth for its atmosphere and tone

[9/10 · 2 January 2017]

First of all, the script is what really makes this movie. But it is also the one thing that, for me, stops it from getting a maximum rating. It has got some script flaws, such as: why did Sarah's ghost attack and make contact with everyone but her killer? Why did she wait so long and let so many people get killed before finally taking her revenge on the killer? Why did Ben decide to not kill Kate's son in front of her, as promised? Although the kid was locked in that small room, Ben had the time to easily burst the door and get him! Aside from these plot holes, the other two things that bothered me were: the entire thing with Kate's leg and her managing to walk, drive, run and fight; and her fearless reaction after being attacked by Sarah's ghost, plus still being willing to venture into the dark house alone, after hearing through the phone that Nick had been attacked. Do not let the cover scare you away; it is not a trashy flick full of terrible special effects and jump scares, as pretty much every thriller released in 2016. It has got some really decent effects and - surprise - it does not rely entirely on them, as the story mixes supernatural with the murders of a serial killer. The thing is: not everything goes as you would expect, for the rhythm is slow - it falls far from its subgenre tree, being completely different from similar themed movies. People will dislike it for not being what it "could have been". All things considered, it still is a very good thriller, that will probably be criticized for being so unique. But that is exactly why I enjoyed it so much. The atmosphere remained the same, even when we shifted from the dark road in the woods to the light radio station, or from Karen's son's darkened room to the farmhouse. The quiet and obscure tone is impeccable, thus making "Dark Signal" a very distinctive thriller. Besides, you will not want to miss catching the performances from Katy Perry's sister and Anna Farris's sister!