The Charge

Pain never dies.

Opening Statement

I'll tell you what else doesn't die: the novelty of creepy-looking ghost women popping out of the nowhere to scare the crap out of people.

Facts of the Case

The film opens in grisly fashion, as a man and a woman kill themselves. What prompted their suicide? That's the question the rest of the film will answer, and the lens we viewers will gaze through for that answer is the Pyke couple, Allen (Greg Thompson) and Julie (Cheri Christian). These two have just lost their daughter, brutally slain in her bedroom. Amidst the unraveling of their relationship, decide to head up to a secluded cabin to rehabilitate their marriage. Allen's going to work on his writing and Julie is going to jump back into her photography.

It's not long, however, before the couple senses something is seriously out of whack. Visiting friends leave in fear after witnessing horrifying visions of ghostly apparitions. And soon enough, both Allen and Julie starts seeing the same things, including visions of their deceased daughter. Some enterprising ghostbusting reveals the secret behind their country hovel and eventually the Pykes will have to square off with big-ass evil.

The Evidence

While Dark Remains is an extremely well done little horror film on many fronts, there is one inescapable fact: it is essentially a 90-minute jump scare. Hey, everyone loves the occasional jump scare—as evidenced by the bulging box office for J-horror knock-offs—but there a fundamental flaw reveals itself if one builds an entire film around it, as Dark Remains does: after a while, you see them coming.

Even when you don't see them coming, after a pile of crazy-looking ghosts suddenly reflected in the bathroom mirror, the scare tactics lose their effect. The filmmaker behind Dark Remains have certainly mastered the art of sudden frights, expertly mixing in bigger and louder musical cues to usher them in, but there's a price to pay, and that is the authentic feeling of dread that comes from a well-crafted, tightly-paced shocker.

Dark Remains boasts the craft, soaked in atmosphere and beautifully shot, but the pacing is much too lethargic, punctuated only by the sporadic jump scare. The central mystery behind the haunting and visions never grabbed me, and while the actors do fine job in their roles, the characters aren't terribly interesting. So instead of engaging with the plot and narrative, I found myself just ticking down the seconds until the next ghost made his or her appearance.

But, maybe I'm nitpicking. Did this film creep me out? Sure it did. Is it poorly put together? No way. Did it bowl me over with its storytelling? Well, no, but few horror movies do. Overall, I'd say Dark Remains is a solid little scare flick, and one that is best viewed in the dark. I can pretty much guarantee that you'll shift in your set at least once.

The DVD presentation is just as solid, sporting a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen treatment that looks very slick. The details are crisp, even during the darker sequences. The 5.1 surround mix is efficient in generating atmosphere, and when those musical cues blare out, trumpeting a spectral entrance, you'll feel it. Extras are decent: a commentary track with director Brian Avenet-Bradley, deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes documentary, deleted scenes and a documentary on "the ghost of Floyd Country Prison."

Closing Statement

Despite a few drawbacks, Dark Remains is as effective a jump scare-generator as I've ever seen. See it with your over-sensitive friends and revel in the Pepsi propelled out of their nose during key sequences.

The Verdict

The bench has the heebie-jeebies, so the accused can take off.

Similar Decisions

• The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology
• Bone Dry
• Fright Night Part II
• Season Of The Hunted

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Dark Remains a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.