Darkness Falls

  • Review Date: May 2, 2004
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Horror
  • 2003
 Review

Common Sense Media says

So bad it's almost painful. Skip it.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film contains countless sequences of children in jeopardy, not to mention many (mostly bloodless) onscreen deaths. It also features some kissing between two rather young children, as well as the unpleasant sight of young kids ripping out their last baby teeth. There are jump-out-at-you surprises, suspenseful fake-outs, and also numerous scenes in which the Tooth Fairy appears and lets out a high-pitched scream.


What's the story?

When two missing kids were thought to have died in the care of an old woman, the town hanged her, only to realize too late that they were mistaken. As she died, she cursed the town, saying she would visit children on the night they lost their last baby tooth. If they saw her, she would hunt them and their loved ones. This earned her the nickname, "The Tooth Fairy." As a young boy, Kyle Walsh saw the Tooth Fairy. She kills his mother, but the Tooth Fairy can't stand the light, so young Kyle is saved by hiding in the brightly-lit bathroom. Years later, Kyle is a flashlight-obsessed psychotic living in Las Vegas. He is drawn back to Darkness Falls, because Michael, the brother of his childhood sweetheart, has also seen the Tooth Fairy and is being stalked by her.


Is it any good?

 

There is almost nothing positive to say about DARKNESS FALLS. It's filmed so poorly that it is almost impossible to see. The editing is so bad that what you can see comes at you too fast to follow. The acting is laughably amateurish. And the story is so idiotic that it makes the cheesiest of basic cable look intelligent. It is a terrible combination of The Blair Witch Project, The Ring, and every bad horror cliché  in the book.

Darkness Falls is one of the new breed of horror movies, ones that are not very gory so they can secure a PG-13 rating. To qualify for a PG-13, they emphasize suspense rather than gore. This makes sense for talented filmmakers, but the makers of Darkness Falls fail so miserably that their attempts are both boring and painful. The terrible acting, the awful pacing, and laughable special effects make the horror of watching this movie all too unintentional.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about why people should not jump to conclusions about others, such as the way the townspeople did about the old woman. Why is she terrorizing the children? They should also discuss why kids should not forcibly remove their teeth.


This review was written by Nell Minow
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Not that bad!
As campy horror flicks go, this one's not all that bad. It passes the time. h* hum.

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
i laughed of retardedism!!!!!!!
this movie freakin sucks! so cheesy and un scary. now if you want real mild but suspensful Horror movies watch misery or anything by stephen king he has very clever and scary plots

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 
LOVED THIS MOVIE!
great story.

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Kid, 13 years old
October 16, 2009
 
Why'd you give it 5 stars if you hated it!?

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Ok, common sense has gone off the deep end! This is a really good movie! It must have been oppisite day when they wrote this review, because it should have 5 stars, not 0! I recomend theis movie to everyon ages 12+!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Great horror film!
Despite the intense fear in this movie, there is very little violence. A few bodies are found with scrape marks on them, but very little blood is seen. The language is excessive, however. At least four “S” words. But, if you have a TV Guardian on your DVD player the bad language is easily edited out.

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Teen, 16 years old
January 3, 2011
 
not for little kids, i guess.
This movie had no point whatsoever. There was no message you could grasp or anything! and y did you give it 5 stars if you hated it? such a stupid movie.

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Parent
December 15, 2009
 
Darkness Falls.
Great movie. Not as scary as most people I know have implied, but a good halloween movie for the mature family members 12+. I have to disagree with commonsense's statements, but agree with their star ratings. Just proves how dyslectic commonsense really is...

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Teen, 17 years old
September 27, 2009
 
i dont know
IF ITS A HORRIBLE MOVIE THEN WHY DID YOU GIVE IT 5 STARS!

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Columbia Tristar
Director:Jonathan Liebesman
Cast:Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie
Genre:Horror
Run time:86 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 24, 2003
DVD release date:April 22, 2003
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:terror and horror images, and brief language

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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