Most films that tend to generate buzz at film festivals tend to be drama or period films. It is very rare for a horror film to create the kind of hype that “A Dark Song” managed when it was first screened during last year's Fantastic Fest. The highly intriguing movie just launched its first trailer and it looks positively ghastly.
Realistic rituals
It is indeed quite heartening to see elements of realism return to genres that abandoned it for quick pay-offs. This element was quite visibly present in two of last year's best films “Arrival” and “The Witch." It looks like “A Dark Song” is willing to go down that road despite being a horror film.
Liam Gavin is a first time director who has already received quite a bit of recognition for his debut film. The cast primarily involves two characters played by Catherine Walker (Sophia) and Steve Oram (Joseph).
The story of “A Dark Song” is centred on these two characters -- Joseph and Sophia -- and their attempts to contact dark, occult forces. We can see in the trailer that Sophia is grieving the loss of a close family member and is desperately trying to get in touch with them. She receives help from an anti-social paranormal expert, Joseph, who forces her to participate in strange and twisted rituals to get the desired results.
What to expect
From the trailer, it is clear that the process of getting in touch with forces beyond our realm is half the battle in this film.
Most horror movies would just use a Ouija board or a simple ritual in order to contact angels and demons, but what truly sets this film apart is the attention to detail in the process of making first contact.
The actors on-board look absolutely committed to their roles and the tone and direction of the film looks entirely creepy and original.
A lot has already been said and written about the final act of the film as well, which is supposed to be deeply revealing and rewarding. “A Dark Song” film will receive a select release next month and will be available for digital download on April 28, 2017. You can look at the disturbing trailer below until then:
