Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Haunted house horror has violence, jump scares, trauma.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Darkness
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In DARKNESS, following their move from the U.S. to rural Spain, a family's eldest child, Regina (Anna Paquin), uncovers the sinister mystery behind their new home.
Is It Any Good?
This haunted house horror has all the ingredients for a decent supernatural thriller but ends up overcooking all of them. Even if you can forgive Darkness' hokey premise and the horror movie cliches hiding behind every slammed door, it's unlikely that most viewers will have the patience for its brief but uneven story. Paquin is a reliable lead, starring as keen-eyed daughter Regina. But the writers don't seem to notice that the character with the most going on is her father, Mark. This leaves Iain Glen thrashing about on the sidelines as the troubled patriarch. Likewise, Mark's relationship with his father, Albert (Giancarlo Giannini), appears to hold the key to unlocking the movie's mystery. But this is quickly buried beneath a landslide of deafening musical cues and sub-Shining tearing around the house.
Richter-scale troubling levels of shakey-cam footage only create a finale that's as rushed as it is confusing. It's almost as though the creators of this unholy mess were seemingly keen to sacrifice more than just their characters to wrap things up and forget it ever happened.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Darkness. Did the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Did you think the movie was scary? What was most scary about it? What's the appeal of horror movies?
Discuss Regina's relationship with her parents. How was it put under pressure because of her father's physical condition? How can situations like this affect people's mental well-being?
Talk about the backstory of the family's house. Was it surprising or confusing? What did it add to the story?
Discuss the end of the movie. What do you think happened to the characters after the credits rolled? Why do some movies only suggest endings and leave audiences to decide?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : April 26, 2005
- Cast : Anna Paquin , Iain Glen , Lena Olin
- Director : Jaume Balaguero
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Bisexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Dimension Films
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : disturbing images, intense terror sequences, thematic elements and language
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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