Out of Darkness – Review
The folks who helped produce Out of Darkness are Escape Plan Media, who also had a hand in crafting one of my favorite horror films, Saint Maud (see our review of that horror masterpiece HERE).
Now, will the results for this film be the same as that one? Let’s find out.
87 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Andrew Cumming and Ruth Greenberg
Directed by Andrew Cumming
Synopsis:
In the Old Stone Age, a disparate gang of early humans band together in search of a new land. But when they suspect a malevolent, mystical being is hunting them down, the clan are forced to confront a danger they never envisaged.
**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio if we actually get the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
At first glance, one might consider Out of Darkness to be akin to a film like Clan of the Cave Bear, and while some superficial aspects might be common, I’d like to think this is more of an original idea.
First, though, lets discuss the fact they developed (with the help of a linguist and an anthropologist) a completely new language for the characters to speak: “Tola.”
Which means, of course, that the entire film is subtitled, begging the question as to whether the film was written in English and translated into Tola, or if the writers learned Tola and wrote it that way, lol.
That’s where my mind goes, folks. You should know that by now.
Anywho…
Out of Darkness follows a group of six tribal refugees from their homeland after their normal hunting patterns are upset: a man (Adem), his pregnant wife (Ave), his son (Heron), brother (Geirr), elder of their old tribe (Odal), and a girl described as a “stray” who they picked up somewhere (Beyah). They have completed a hazardous ocean crossing only to find the land of plenty they had anticipated arriving at is a barren place. Hunting is scarce, and the threat of starvation is looming large. Much thought is given to the survival prospects of Ave and her unborn child, and once Beyah begins to menstruate, Adem makes clear that his line will continue as, while “strays” have no purpose, Beyah now does.
Soon after, a noise in the darkness causes panic, and Heron is snatched from around the meagre fire. Adem leads the group on a chase, desperate to find his son, while Geirr and Odal try in vain to convince him Heron is already dead.
Undaunted, the group follows Adem on his errand into a looming forest. Disaster follows, as the beast, still unseen and unidentified, begins to hunt the group as Adem, then the rest, group increasingly frantic to escape the forest and survive.
Out of Darkness is not just the strangest “period” survival adventure you’ve ever seen, but a look at the circumstances that inform a burgeoning social group and society. Yes, the Patriarchy is alive and well, as evidenced by Adem’s assertion of procreative control of both Ave and Beyah, as it would be in a hunting and violence-based environment such as they find themselves.
Quite a telling comment is made when Odal questions Adem’s choices, as Odal is reminded that Ave forages as well as he does: Odal is useless in the hunt, suitable now in his age and infirmity only for “woman’s work.”
It is also a thoughtful look at how competing societies can interpret — and misinterpret — the actions of one another, and how desperation can cause previously strong relationships to fray.
Beautifully acted — even using an invented language (aren’t all languages invented, though?) — the cast is convincing, the action is compelling, and the production value is absolutely top notch.
This is a beautiful film to look at, while also being a highly enjoyable watch.
I may want to see this on the big screen…
Check it out.
Out of Darkness will exclusively hit theaters on February 9, 2024, and stars Safia Oakley-Green, Chuku Modu, Kit Young, and Iola Evans.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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