Review of After the Dark (2013) by Elliot S — 21 Feb 2014

I wish I had liked the film. I do, because when I viewed the trailer about a month ago it not only intrigued me, but felt as if it was genuinely new. So when I was given the chance to an advance screening of the film, I took it ahead of its February 7th release. I walked in with a fresh face ready to see a good film, and what I got was a less then extraordinary film. A horrible film, in fact. I know most of you'll disagree with me, saying it's good for what it is, but I just felt that nothing here worked whatsoever. It was a total waste of an interesting idea. Well anyways here's my review of 'After the Dark'.

'After the Dark' follows Mr. Zimit (Played by James D'Arcy) a philosophy teacher at an international school in Jakarta. On the final day of school, Mr. Zimit challenges his class of 20 students to choose of them half to survive an atomic apocalypse.

At first thought this seems somewhat unique a film, concept wise. But if you look at it really closely you can tell it really isn't. The film starts off well, but ends up coming short 30 minutes into the film. I found the first half an hour intriguing and enjoyable but soon afterwards the film changed into a bland and predictable piece. The concept just wasn't solid enough. The concept was turned into a full 100 minute film, and the result is a rather tiresome, confusing ride.

Something I didn't like about the film was instead of staying in the apocalyptic area for the entire length of the film; we instead switch back and forth between a classroom conversation and the apocalyptic setting. This proves to be confusing, distracting, and it brings the film's tension level down. Why the film couldn't continue the struggle between the surviving nine teenagers trying to escape from the bunker and ending the film back in the classroom is beyond me, all I know is I found the way the film progressed back and forth between the two different environments distasteful.

Another problem is the fact that the film is basically three chapters. Three different situations, but what's wrong with that is that it doesn't feel different. All of the three situations seem the same; except for the difference in locations, and surviving characters. The problems and what the people do are relatively the same, and the film ends up becoming boring beyond belief, with only a few surprises in store. When the film switches set ups, it basically pulls you out of the experience you had been having for a half an hour, and it makes you tired.

All the issues come from the poor direction from newcomer 'John Huddles'. He doesn't seem to know what to do, and the way he directs just comes out sloppy, and tiresome. I can tell he put effort into the film, it just he didn't have beginners luck, and the film looks like it was stitched together. It looks like a prototype of the real film, which we all know is never going to happen, because this is the real film.

The characters are as thinly written and confusing as the script itself. Of the 20 students in Mr. Zimit's classroom we only really get enough characterization for one of them. And that is all. By the end of the film, the students leave the classroom just as invisibly as they entered. The film spends much more time on dialogue and the concept then it does on characterization. The characters come up say their lines, live or die, and then we move on. The only real character that left that classroom characterized of the students was Petra (Played by Sophie Lowe). Maybe it was just good acting, but I felt that character's emotions and feelings, and knew her from the start. She left the classroom perfectly visible and colored. Mr. Zimit, himself, also left visibly. Mr. Zimit was characterized pretty smoothly even if it came farther apart then you would have liked, you still got him.

The visual effects on this film were beyond bad. They looked as if they had come out of one of those 1950 films. The details were few, and the visuals ended up coming out plain and simple, as well as blurry, actually.

The scenery were very un-appealing, I donno if it was real location's or just bad greenscreen but whatever it was, the locations outside of the bunkers were just ugly to look at.

One of the sole benefits from the film was the talented cast. I'm sorry to say that the film squandered the cast's talents, and appeal, but we still do get to see some sort of their many dynamic acting abilities. While I must say they look alittle too pretty, and polished for teenagers and maybe just abit too perfect, they are able to get away with it, under the circumstances the film presents. Of the talents I have to note the performances of the following. 'James D'Arcy' who gives us a charming yet sociopathic performance, he is able to not only be clever, and sophisticated, but also crazy and dangerous. 'Daryl Sabara' of 'Spy Kids' fame gives us a nice performance as one of the twenty students, and turns out to be quite funny, and dramatic. 'Freddie Stroma' also plays one of the students and is equally funny, but realistic and smart. 'Bonnie Wright' as one of the students is smart, yet what I liked about her performance is she made her character not only smart, but also sometimes grim, and mean, but overall tones of kindness. 'Rhys Wakefield' does well in one of the leading roles the film, creating a leadership quality, as well as tension, and excitement. However the other lead 'Sophie Lowe' kind of gives an annoying performances as well as a dull and wooden one.

The music also is engaging and dramatic, and really fit what's going on and the mood of the film. The score is original, nice, and just get's you pumped up for the oncoming event.

All and All 'After the Dark' squanders a talented cast with a poorly conceived concept, and just miss direction from the newcomer 'John Huddles' who sees in capable of making a film. Nothing much can be enjoyed here at all. F+ 2/4/14.