Review of Lights Out (2016) by Junelkean — 28 Jan 2018

There are many ways to earn a name in Hollywood. For a director's point of view, it's by doing short films. Sure, it's less expensive than doing full-length feature films, but these can also be tickets to stardom. If this happens, it's a beginner's luck. But if someone who's behind "The Conjuring universe" is going to produce it, it's a privilege. David F. Sandberg, director of the short film "Lights Out" delivered its scares in 3 minutes, but would it translate well into an 80-minute movie?

Sandberg does not reinvent the simple premise what the short film offered. It has well-generated thrills and creepy moments which make the film such an effective horror flick. But what's surprising is that it's also a family drama. It does not only rely on peekaboo scares and heavy thrills, rather it uses its strong yet clever characters to build the tension firing. For instance, Rebecca (Palmer) and her family are dealing with a family tragedy, so when the stakes go higher, you just believe in their dynamic, and at the same time, become terrified.

Though, the backstory of Diana doesn't work - it feels undercooked, bland and lazy. The earlier moments could also have been improved more. Yet in the end, Lights Out may not be as great as recent horror films such as "Ouija 2" or "The Conjuring 2," but it surely is worth the try.

VERDICT: Though suffering from its scary antagonist, Lights Out is a terrifying showcase of what Sandberg has to offer to the horror industry.