Common Sense Media Review
So bad it's almost painful. Skip it.
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Darkness Falls
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.
Talk to Your Kids 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.
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 24, 2003
- On DVD or streaming : April 22, 2003
- Cast : Chaney Kley , Emma Caulfield , Lee Cormie
- Director : Jonathan Liebesman
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 86 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : terror and horror images, and brief language
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
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