Kendra Carelli
PAUL FLANNERY
Tormented by the demons of his troubled past, Marcus Anderson sets out on a journey to uncover the truth behind a mystery that has haunted him since he was a child. As he delves deeper into the dark secrets of his past, he quickly realizes that the answers he seeks are far more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.
Marcus must face his deepest fears and confront the horrors of his past in order to find the truth. But with each step he takes, the dangers he faces grow more and more terrifying, and he soon realizes that the only way to survive is to confront the demons of his past head on.
While The Dark Within may not have been the success we had hoped for, it remains a project that we are incredibly proud of. Despite the numerous challenges we faced, from a troubled pre-production process to a rushed shooting schedule and a poorly executed marketing campaign, we remained committed to bringing our unique vision to life.
Over the years, The Dark Within has slowly but surely found its audience, with many appreciating the bold and ambitious story we set out to tell. While it may not have reached the heights we had hoped for, it remains a film that we are passionate about and proud to have been a part of.
Looking back, we see The Dark Within not as a failure, but as a valuable learning experience that has helped us grow as filmmakers.
Director - David Ryan Keith
To say I was excited when the press release for The Dark Within dropped into my inbox is somthing of an understatement. You see, I am a HUGE fan of writer/director David Ryan Keith’s 2017 film Ghosts of Darkness which, despite numerous [aborted] release dates, has yet to hit physical media here in the UK. That film was a fantastic horror comedy which really showed off both director Keith and actor Paul Flannery – both of whom team up for their follow up effort The Dark Within. A film that could not be, thematically, further from their previous film but is still yet another sublime genre film from the duo.
Whereas Ghosts of Darkness mixed horror and laughs, The Dark Within is very much more of a horror film; telling the story of Marcus, a disturbed man with unknown psychic abilities who tries to unravel the mystery of his parent’s disappearance while battling his own demons. Demons which may, or may not, be real! Let’s just say this film lacks many laughs, taking on instead much more serious tone and, of course, featuring scares a-plenty!
That’s because The Dark Within plays out, for ther most part, as something akin to the Evil Dead films, with Flannery’s character seemingly “trapped” in his old family home (or is he trapped in his own mind? That’s a question that lingers throughout Keith’s film) with something, or someone, playing mind games with him. Or it could be his own twisted psyche… After all, as a child he was present – as seen in the films opener – at a number of strange medical experiments into telepathy and remote viewing that his father was overseeing. Yes, this is very much like the “mad Ash” scene in Sam Raimi’s film extended to feature length but, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, better.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; and I’ll probably keep saying it ’til I’m blue in the face, but why the hell has Paul Flannery not been cast in every British horror film production going? His screen presence is ridiculously captivating – which is why this essentially one-man film works so well, and he can make even the most cliched line feel like it has un-ending gravitas. Whilst he has performed on stage it’s hard to believe this is literally only his second credited film role on IMDb.
Like Keith’s Ghosts of Darkness, The Dark Within has some effective scary moments, with some grotesque (and very bloody) imagery from the get-go – seemingly rendered in both CGI and practical effects; with a fantastic looking “monster” that reminded me of an unmasked Sam from Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r’ Treat, only if he was a LOT bigger and even more menacing.
***** 5/5
The Dark Within Review by Phil Wheat
THE DARK WITHIN
