Review of Lights Out (2016) by Amheretojudge — 24 Nov 2019

Sandberg's film has empty threat, stake, emotion, impact on us, its exhausted audience, that cannot wait for the light to turn on and the screen to turn off.

Lights Out The co-writer and director David F. Sandberg has nothing to offer. AndSandberg's film has empty threat, stake, emotion, impact on us, its exhausted audience, that cannot wait for the light to turn on and the screen to turn off.

Lights Out.

The co-writer and director David F. Sandberg has nothing to offer. And he is inviting us. This daring is neither admirable nor childish enough by us to reject it. We cannot, I cannot just say NO to the small wonders that Sandberg in its own bumps and trumps, can display. Now, is that all a coincidence or a genuine artistry taking place. What we do know for sure, is that this is an empty call. It is the part where the makers are bluffing. But even in a bluff, after a point, there is something that is revealed. Good or bad. In here, the void is dangerously arrogant. It is not going to and will not succumb to any obligatory notes of the film. Often this bold take could be beneficial but here it is peddled to nowhere. I would gladly stand up on the stage that it is not their fault, they didn't have any answers. But in haters' defense, there wasn't any question. First of all the genre isn't respected itself. It claims to be of horror and functions- or does not function- like a psychological drama. Psychological drama? Sure, why not. I'll take that as well. But when it comes the time for it to be that, it directs towards the sci-fi aspects of the storyline. There is no coherence on where the boundary is. What is white and what is black. What is in and what is out. What is light and what is dark. And now you can understand my annoyance when the warning sign, the title on the poster screams, Lights Out.