Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Interesting characters but lackluster scares.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Darkness
What's the Story?
During a camping trip with family friends, autistic boy Mike (David Mazouz) falls into a strange chamber and finds five stones carved with images of a buffalo, snake, wolf, coyote, and crow. Back home, with his mom, Bronny (Radha Mitchell); dad, Peter (Kevin Bacon); and older sister, Stephanie (Lucy Fry), strange things begin happening. Mike starts talking to an "imaginary friend," Jenny. Locked doors suddenly open, and a neighbor's dog barks incessantly. As the malevolent forces become stronger, and the family seems to be falling apart at the seams, the time comes to call in an expert (Alma Martinez) to help cleanse the house. But whatever evil Mike has awakened seems to have other plans.
Is It Any Good?
Oddly, this well-cast horror movie is more interesting for its family drama than for its scares. It might almost be worth seeing, if not for the nonsensical story, jump scares, and other lazy stuff. Bacon and Mitchell lead an able cast, filling out likably human characters who are flawed but not stupid and try hard to fix things. The family's confrontations -- over drinking, infidelity, bulimia, and autism -- are much more engaging than the strangely flat ghost story.
Directed by Greg McLean (known in horror circles for Wolf Creek), THE DARKNESS often feels like things were left out or simply never added. It addresses the existence of other cultures -- Native American ghosts, a Latina ghost hunter (and an Asian woman who believes in her) -- but only as surface dressing. Ultimately, it's never clear what the story actually is, who these ghosts are, or what will make them go away. They can't even manage anything other than making loud noises to get everyone jumping.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Darkness's violence. How much is shown, and how much is hinted at? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
Is the movie scary? Does more violence make a movie scarier? What's the appeal of scary movies?
How does the movie represent non-white cultures? Are they superficial, or do they go deeper? What message does that send?
What is bulimia? What is its relationship to body image? Does the movie handle the condition realistically?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 13, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : September 6, 2016
- Cast : Kevin Bacon , Radha Mitchell , David Mazouz
- Director : Greg McLean
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : High Top Releasing
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic elements, some disturbing violence, brief sensuality and language
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate