Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Musty TV's Maniacal Movie Countdown - Day 26: The Dark and the Wicked (2020)

I feel like a lot of modern horror movies are tackling the topic of aging, both the horrors of aging itself, and how hard it can be to face the aging of the ones you love. Two such films have appeared in this countdown over the past two years: The Manor, and Relic, and today brings another, The Dark and the Wicked.

Two siblings (Marin Ireland Michael Abbott Jr.) return to the desolate Texas farm they grew up on to say their goodbyes to their dying father. Their mother, who has never been religious but who is now singing hymns and getting visits from a priest (who is played by Xander Berkeley, so you know something's not right from the start) had been caring for their father, but seems to be going off the rails. And then things start to get really weird.

The dark farmhouse setting certainly sets the primary mood for the majority of the film's scares, although its most shocking scene happens in a brightly lit suburban kitchen. That scene, and some subtler moments that take advantage of shadows and things just out of frame, left an impression, along with the strong performances from the entire cast. Just wish the whole thing ended stronger...

The Dark and the Wicked is currently streaming on Shudder.

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