Review of After the Dark (2013) by Matt H — 20 Jun 2018

I've used this movie for several years in my college psych classes. What do we value in a person? What is the worth of an individual? It's amazing to watch the "game" we play after the movie. Students first select one card from 25 "profession" cards, and then they vote as a class to include or exclude the person from their bunker (always holding 1/2 the number of students in the class). Funny how quickly insurance salesmen are dumped. Next, the students choose one of 25 "social characteristic" cards that can change the makeup of the bunker, and it usually does. Love to watch the effect of the cards on the group as a whole. Some classes find it humorous, other classes become verbally aggressive - all depends on your mix. In a nutshell, students discover a lot about their preconceived notions of human value, and how disparate those ideas might be from the person who has been sitting next to them all semester.

I recommend you watch it with a group of friends, and then play the game. It's easy to do. I printed the professions the movie gave, plus a few more, on business cards, and then did the same with the social characteristic cards. Et voila, movie night with a twist. Have fun identifying where you've seen the younger actors previously. You'll identify a minimum of three from past movies with big releases.

I enjoyed the movie. The ending was reminiscent of the three scenarios.. which choice does he make? What is the meaning of the closing of his eyes - and the opening of hers? Watch it and decide.