Darklands (1996) User Reviews

surprisingly disappointing - but watchable

[godgirl · 5/10 · 11 December 2004]

An interesting take on the concept of getting Welsh National Film Council grant to make a film that made the Welsh look rather like COMPLETE LOONS!

I had no idea to expect before watching the film, and a quick look at IMDb had me worried, especially as two of the main characters who had allegedly only just met were shagging by day 2 of the plot.

The Welsh journalist has a dodgy east-end geezer accent, there are several inconsistencies in the story ("take him to room six, i will be along in a minute" - he is put in room 4).. but although kind of predictable, more than slightly cheesy, possibly quite tasteless and definitely lacking in any depth of plot; somehow a reasonably watchable sort of horror/shocker film does manage to fall out the far end.

The druidy types come in subspecies of hippy druidy girls, madmax meets punk blokes, strange beardy cardigan wearing gypsies on a caravan site, steel workers, the NHS, the local police, the council... in fact, the whole town bar the mad priest appears to be plotting a sacrifice....

Not much one poor reporter can do in the face of so much adversity, but he tries....

Unashamed Wicker Man rip-off, but not without merit

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 4 June 2016]

Whilst the plot owes a huge debt of inspiration to THE WICKER MAN (except the fertility "sun-worshipping" cult is relocated to Wales from a Scottish island, and a gang of poorly-dressed gypsies and Druid weirdos instead), and whilst it can't hope to equal that 1973 classic, DARKLANDS is a pretty good thriller for the modern horror genre which keeps its feet firmly on the ground. Due to the low budget, there are no elaborate special effects sequences or fancy action scenarios - instead, just a gritty, depressive feel to the film and plenty of suspense at the same time, especially towards the last half an hour.

The biggest flaw this film has is its predictability - at all stages there's a "seen it all before" kind of feel. Plot twists involving friendly characters turning out to be bad guys are easy to spot and incredibly obvious, and the downbeat outcome, whilst short, and with maximum horror, also comes as no surprise to seasoned horror fans who may have seen THE WICKER MAN. Ironically, the sequences showing the Druid revellers dancing with chainsaws and the alike aren't really horrific or disturbing at all, just silly, and the few gore scenes are clumsy and mishandled (don't even get me started on that silly drug-induced sexual encounter with the woman in the red robe). Where DARKLANDS is at its most effective is in the quieter conspiracy-type moments as the lead character of Frazer Truick investigates mysterious happenings and has run-ins with various unsavoury characters, and the finale in which he gradually comes to realise that he's caught in one huge trap.

Craig Fairbrass may not be everyone's choice for such a leading role, but to be fair he acts more here than his usual hardman action hero-type role requires. His no-frills everyman-style acting works well, giving the film a likable and dependable lead. The good supporting cast includes Rowena King as a mysterious girlfriend, Jon Finch (FRENZY) as a mysterious councillor and plenty more suspicious faces. The end result is that DARKLANDS is a familiar film which is easily missed - but for fans looking for serious hard-edged horror with no easy answers, it may be worth a look. It is unsatisfying, and you feel like something is missing, but it stands unique as one of the few (only?) Welsh-set horror films out there.

Confusing But Still Watchable

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 11 February 2003]

!!!!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS !!!!!

I did enjoy DARKLANDS for the most part but the more I thought about it afterwards the more it falls apart . The link between the occult and Celtic Welsh nationalism via David Keller , is there a connection ? Gypseys are common in some parts of Wales but they`re not Celts so how do they fit into the conspiracy ? In fact there`s so many characters in the film from different ethnic backgrounds ( Including a couple of black drug dealing car thieves - You won`t find that in EASTENDERS ) that any Celtic mythology and subtext becomes redundant . And as for the conspiracy itself , you mean EVERYONE in this Welsh industrial town was involved ? How`s that possible ? The same idea might work well in THE WICKER MAN because that film takes place on a closed community on a Scottish Island whose population is a few dozen people , but in a Welsh town involving a population of thousands it becomes insulting to ones intelligence .

That said Julian Richards directs with a good ration of intrigue and atmosphere and it`d be a shame to see him disappear into obscurity . I hope to see him direct more films just as long as he isn`t allowed to write the script

Sucks and blows at the same time

[nickthegun · 7 October 2002]

WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS (Like it matters…..)

This film tried so hard to be ‘The Wicker Man for the Millenium' and failed on so many levels.

I must admit, I watched it while I was fairly caned on very late night T.V, but it was still stupid. Craig Fairbrass (who you will recognise as Dan from eastenders or that annoying British ‘Heavy' from cliff hanger) is atrocious as the be mulleted reporter who gets up to the kind of things only American Reporters (in films) seem to get up to. And he only works for a local welsh paper………

This is basically The Wicker Man lite. Everything screams ‘made for t.v', the (bad) gore and violence, the spectacularly unsexy sex scenes and the casting of the welsh as either tramps or occultists.

The most annoying thing about this piece of poo, though, is the ending. Basically, it transpires that Dan from eastenders whole life has been pre-ordained. He was a special baby and he must also make special babies. These special babies get sacrificed every so often to a pretty non specific deity. WHY? What do these people get out of it? What is the reason for this elaborate pantomime? There is never any reason for these human sacrifices other than that they just seemed to feel like it. So why all the ‘First full moon of the new equinox' type jive? There is no point. I felt so cheated. As the film finished I thought ‘is that it?' Why the hell did they mess about for days on end? Why did they need him to be at the right place at the right time, if there was not going to be any sort of ‘supernatural' reward. They were just like a load of bloodthirsty masons.

Utter…well I cant say the word, so fill in the blanks……..Utter ______

*SUCKS* But has a GREAT ENDING!! =)

[elzarro · 3/10 · 2 October 2001]

It's a really boring film, but has it's highlights! The first hour of the film sucks, but the last 30 minutes are moderately good. One cool thing is when the main character, Frazer, drives around with his girl and if you watch the background they pass a power plant (some factory) and just a few seconds later they are going backwards passing the exact place again, but reverse... *lol* =) Anyway, the ending is cool too, I'm not going to spoil anything, but it does not end like most film does! =) Best regards, /Janne

Got to be in the bottom 5 movies ever made

[spikey-5 · 1/10 · 9 April 2008]

There is simply nothing to redeem this awful rip off of the wicker man. While other commentators seem to feel overly kind in that they mention it being similar, it was clearly an unashamed copy without the style or intellect. The pacing is terrible. the acting rotten (poor Jon Finch being the exception) and the directing haphazard.

Failing at both intrigue and suspense, this so called horror simply becomes a waste of two hours of your life. Watching it will make you feel that A) you've seen the ideas done better before somewhere else and B) that if this film got the green light you and a few mates could probably get drunk with a cell phone and do a better job. You would be 100% correct in both assumptions.

My Review Of "Darklands"

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 7/10 · 21 September 2013]

Julian Richards "Darklands" is a modern cult thriller-noir that plays on classic misbeliefs of Celts, pagans and gypsies based on common misconceptions that run through European society (not that the Americas are exempt from such poor quality judgment of cultural differences). The movie is a traditional display of western giallo film making and "Darklands" is as good an example of cult-pagan genre storytelling than contemporary films such as "Spellbinder" and "The Wicker Man". The story follows journalist Frazer Truick as he investigates the mysterious death of the brother of trainee journalist Rachel Morris. Delving deeper, Truick becomes convinced that the tragedy was murder, committed by a bizarre religious cult. But as the evidence unfolds, things take on a more sinister and potentially lethal significance for the reporter, as he becomes embroiled in devil worship, witchcraft and ultimately human sacrifice! (That is the official synopsis).

For me this film is a captivating crime thriller and great example of 20th Century noir. The story is plays on mystery, intrigue and suspense in a classic style that is often associated with Italian giallo-most notably Argento's work. Even with the very obvious culture insensitivity that plagues the film, "Darkland" is a very interesting and mesmerizing story that slowly builds suspense through melodrama and eerie atmospheric effects. I did find the view of pagans, Celts and gypsies as some humanized boogeymen wrought with villainous intent a tad offensive, but in proper context as a fictional setting it is easy to swallow.

The sound effects and cinematography used for "Darkland" is traditional 80's and 90's creepiness one expects in these suspenseful stories. The characters are classic and mysterious, well developed if needed and never over-indulged to the point of annoyance. Visually the film entertains with moments of post-industrial, neo-primal experimental theatrics that creates a wild urban paganism aesthetics. Usually these images are saved for post-apocalyptic or future-dystopia films. The witchcraft, or primitive traditional religious elements where minimal but when on screen became very effective. Mostly this is a great conspiracy, crime noir. "Darklands" is a very cool, classic cult thriller that offers a great witchy story, and plenty of suspense. The blood and gore is almost non-existent which was a bit of a bummer but over-all I enjoyed the film.

An Okay Horror Movie

[ladymidath · 7/10 · 4 January 2024]

I have to admit that the Wickerman (the original) did this so much better. Darklands did not seem to know whether it wanted to be The Omen or The Wickerman. It seems to get its ideas from both. That does not necessarily make this a bad movie. It's just that the first two are better.

The acting is fine and the cast did a great job, The movie did manage to build tension. But it was easy to see the ending coming from a mile off.

There is nothing new or different here but it does its job well enough.

It did keep me watching until the end and it a movie can do that, then it gets an uptick from me.

This dark and forbidding chiller marks a promising debut for young director Julian Richards

[wjr-3 · 10/10 · 4 January 2000]

Set in recession hit Port Talbot, Darklands has local reporter Fraser Truick (Craig Fairbrass) digging through murky pagan goings-on as local churches are desocrated by slaughtered pigs and what-have-you... It's obviously the work of some dark force and not the local RSPCA, reckons Truick, who finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a druidic conspiracy. Fairbrass' Truick completely anglicised to the point of having a cockney accent, is a perfect metaphor for Celtic cultural angst, and his pedigree and fate as sacrificial victim is poetic. Darkland's villains - especially local politician David Keller - are well portrayed as they are menacing. Richard's central message is also unusual, attacking the Celtic renaissance for being intolerant. (Unless of course he's implying all anglicised Welshman should be ritually slaughtered. You never know). In the world of British film-making, it's an impressive achievement. Julian Richards is definately a name to watch out for.

Frankly, I'm jealous

[Gary-161 · 20 October 2001]

*Some SPOILERS*

Oops, here's one not to rodomontade about too loudly. I saw it in four chunks over three days so I lost the plot a bit. No matter, it's a patchwork of other people's plots anyway, not least a chainsaw assault that kills the film's tenuous credibility stone dead. This sort of hokum needs a certain other worldly style to it rather than the bog standard Brit-cop TV approach we get, albeit with extra blooded lamb cutlets.

Does this matter? There is a fabulous amount of bonking in it. Craig Fairbrass, playing a journalist, is attractive and charming but grates with his less than beatific vocal style. He is the man with a bonking problem. The problem being he never gets a rest from it. So priapic is he that even in the rare moments of the film where he refrains from the afore-mentioned activity, that is unconcious, someone wakes him up and forces him to do it some more. Even when he's not doing it, he's dreaming about it. What really makes you turn against the film is he doesn't appear to enjoy it, apart from the first encounter on a living room floor with a women he's barely acquainted with. In one memorable scene he is serviced by this women in the most energetic display of rumpy pumpy since 'Last Tango In Paris', only to be forced to admit that he had not reached the peak, so to speak. We, the audience, are astonished. After all that, the earth should have moved for a paraplegic. In fairness, Mr Fairbrass has a great deal on his mind, not least the fact that certain inhabitants of Wales seem to sport eyeliner until well into their sixties, and that's just the men. Also, a sinister Detective Inspector that is the bane of his life is wearing an outfit not seen since Roger De Bris's assistant in 'The Producers'. How does he get away with being dressed like that down the nick? Dark forces are certainly afoot but seeing as Mr Fairbrass is permanently horizontal without clothes, how is he going to find out? In an amazing sequence, he is forced into another energetic round of 'hows-your-father?' By a bunch of slavering pagans on a make shift altar. Goodness, this low budget film is definately worth a deferred payment deal, but is Mr Fairbrass grateful? Does the earth move for him this time? Sadly, the painful and protracted gurning he displays suggests he is experiencing a vodka enema rather than the overdue release we are expecting from him. There is a reason for all this preoccupation with procreation, not least the lack of anything else to do in Wales. However, the knowledge of this is likely to set back the careful rehabilitation, nay acceptance of paganism ventured on such shows like 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer'.

Overall, I can't see the point of this film or British films in general. Lets face it, the Americans do this sort of thing better and we'd be better suited spending time trying to sort out our NHS, which incidently gets treated with an almost uncanny documentary realism in 'Darklands'. Poor Mr Fairbrass is in hospitable after a dog bite, forcing him to be horizontal without any frenzied sexual activity for once. Goodness, how will he cope? A doctor walks in with two burly minders, squeezing a huge hypordermic and promptly attacks him. In a hilarious 'Carry On' sequence, Mr Fairbrass is chased along hospital corridors in a wheelchair, still pulling faces and looking thoroughly miserable. I'm was just thankful to see him sitting down. After all that bedroom activity he's a man that certainly needs the rest.

Black as coal!

[annaro-2 · 8/10 · 16 December 1999]

SURPRISINGLY diverting horror thriller set in Wales and prompting a terrific performance from Cliffhanger's Craig Fairbrass as a reporter lured into a mire of pagan rituals and the occult by svelte 'trainee journalist' Rowena King. Before he knows it, he's up to his neck in pigs blood and human sacrifices. The pace builds relentlessly till he's caught - literally - on a one-way train to hell and damnation!

shallow , trendy dreck

[acky · 30 July 1999]

Despite all of the feverish accolades on the box, I found this to be a conventional and dull film. The few scenes of the pagan ritual might be disturbing were there not some sub-portishead music playing on the soundtrack the entire time.The scenes of the gypsys living outside the power plant were grimy and creepy. I was very annoyed by the fact that this film compared itself to the great "The Wicker man." while that film was an attack on Christianity and organized religion, this film seems to just be about how bad and evil the religous cult is which I found kind of silly and reactionary.

Evocative and suspense-filled horror.

[walesla · 8/10 · 11 January 2000]

Horror fans, as well as drama and suspense fans will really appreciate this low budget, yet well thought-out film. Whilst containing references, in tribute, to some of the best movies made, it is still a highly original and intelligent movie, raising questions about paganism and Welsh culture. The ritual scenes are very atmospheric and beautifully shot. There are some great "jump-out-of-your-seat" moments, especially as you really start to become drawn in to this film. Some well-respected and accomplished actors featured, who also help make it more than just another low-budget horror flick. Refreshing and highly recom

I liked it.

[dougedyer · 8/10 · 14 October 2006]

I saw this movie years ago at a film festival in Irvine California. The movie had a good pace and the end was how I like them! The director was there at the viewing and gave a brief insight in to the movie, he also asked for questions from the audience. It was receive well by all that attended.

I have been looking for this film for years but I had forgotten the title of the movie until I just stumbled on to it today. I can't wait to watch it again, all these year later.

I would suggest this movie to anyone.

See it you might like it.

The Welsh Wicker Man!

[comet.com-2 · 9/10 · 12 January 2000]

Not for nothing has Julian Richards' assured debut been dubbed the Welsh 'Wicker Man'. The writer-director readily acknowledges it's debt to the 1973 horror classic. In his least action orientated role to date - Craig Fairbrass plays Frazer Truick, a Welsh-born, London raised journo whose investigations into a young steelworkers death suggest links between the industrial 'accident', fervent nationalist politician David Keller (Jon Finch) and an uppity group of Celtic neo-pagans. Truick's nose for a story and lust for the dead girl's beautiful sister, trainee journo Rachel Morris (Rowena King), soon have him knee deep in desecrated churches, slaughtered pigs, crazy priests and a revivalist political conspiracy. Anyone familiar with 'The Wicker Man' or 'Rosemary's Baby' will quickly guess that what Truick thinks is a light at the end of the tunnel is in fact an oncoming train. That said, what the film lacks in narrative riginality, it makes up for in imaginative execution, despite the limitations imposed by a £500,000 budget. Richards' confident direction and cinematographer Zoran Djordjevic's atmospheric visuals are complemented by a score that effectively blends Test Department's percussive industrial noise with gentler Welsh folk songs. By juxtaposing the scary intensity of ancient pagan rituals with the grim beauty of a modern post-industrial landscape, 'Darklands' draws upon evocative pre-christian imagery while also hinting at a more serious socio-economic subtext. Together with 'Twin Town' and 'House Of America' this confirms the recent revival in Welsh film-making.

------------------------------------------

Obscure Welsh Gem

[jules-108 · 13 February 2003]

I stumbled across this obscure Welsh gem in a cinema in Reykjavík, Iceland, the year it was released. Basically it's similar in many ways to the infamous The Wicker Man (1973), though I much preferred Darklands, not least because of the black metal aesthetic and the excellent industrial music of Test Dept., whose album Gododdin has had a profound and lasting impact on me.

If you're lucky enough to catch this rare film, don't tell anyone what happens at the end!!!

[ependleton · 9/10 · 13 January 2000]

I saw this movie at The Newport Beach International Film Festival 1997 and can't believe that it has not yet been distributed in the US! (If as a result of reading this comment. a US distributor acquires Darklands, I want a 10% commission because if Blair Witch is anything to go by, with good marketing, this movie could make a mint - hell why don't I just set up my own label and distribute it through Amazon!).

Darklands is a seriously weird and subversive movie which unlike Blair Witch, succeeds in delivering a number of shocks - not to mention the ending, which quite literally had my jaw on the theater floor. If you like alternative, offbeat, cult movies > then Darklands is a must

The Welsh should sue (some spoilers, if you really care)

[thesnowleopard · 10 August 2004]

Between depressing police procedurals like "A Mind to Kill" and cultic crap like this, it's a wonder anyone has any respect for the Welsh, let alone any interest in visiting or living in Wales. Myself, based on just the above, I'd leave skidmarks in the opposite direction from Cardiff.

Craig Fairbrass is no more convincing here as the journalist protag on the trail of a big story than he was as a love rat on Eastenders. Not that that matters much since a dyslexic Howler monkey could come up with a better script. We are asked to swallow, for example [hack, cough, spit], the idea that some Celtic cult that's a mix of pagan ritual, pseudo-freemasonry and virulent Welsh nationalism could get away with practicing human sacrifice in a large industrial town in Wales. Yeah, I'm sure Downing Street would *never* twig to that little regional conspiracy. Also, I never thought I'd say this, since I normally find horror movie sex scenes at least highly amusing, but there is a truly tedious amount of bonking. This very unfortunately has everything to do with the "shock climax" (if you'll pardon the pun). I could live with the downer ending if it had a point, but it doesn't. It's just nihilism for the sake of it--rather like the soundtrack, really. Not to mention an unhealthy dose of anti-Welsh stereotypes that makes it look like they could really use some chlorine in the gene pool down there in Wales.

For a good downer movie about Celtic cults, do yourself an enormous favour and rent The Wicker Man instead. That one at least makes you think about who the good guys and bad guys are- -and the ending (which this one tried dismally to rip off) is much, much better.

Paranoia and a palpable sense of evil all of its own.

[miketims · 9/10 · 16 December 1999]

Darklands is very much a 'back to basics' Brit horror movie. Impressively shot in Wales it tells the story of a local journalist (Craig Fairbrass) who gradually uncovers a sinister cult within his home town, who practice ancient pagan rituals and human sacrifice. With unmistakable elements from 'Race With The Devil', 'Angel Heart', and of course 'The Wicker Man' Darklands is hardly original but director Julian Richards has delivered an atmospheric, dark and sometimes intense debut - possibly the best British horror film this decade.

A TV special that got some money to be a film

[bob the moo · 24 October 2001]

An industrial Celtic cult is recruiting people from the local steel mill and leading them in pagan sacrifice rituals - I wonder if it could have anything to do with the gypsies just outside the mill? This is an example of one of the plot drivers that this film relies on - ones that are pretty obvious from the start.

However the film also has plenty of other plot twists that are revealed along the way, most of these are good but too many rely on coincidence or overlooking the facts. The whole cult-conspiracy thing is a bit unbelievable - maybe the Wickerman succeeded with a similar plot due to the island setting - here set in Wales it's not as easy to accept. But if you can overlook this then it's actually quite good.

The performances are OK - Fairbrass doesn't quite bring off the fear and confusion that he should but does a reasonable leading man. Rowena King is good as the love interest Rachael, she's there to add a bit of sex to the proceedings - however that said the love scenes between her and Fairbrass are laughable, clearly neither agreed to be naked on screen and their orgasms are harder to believe than a Celtic cult sacrificing Welsh people. The other characters are mainly rent-a-Celtic-thugs or small parts - you can usually tell whose bad or good easily enough due to the performances.

The plot is reasonable but regularly fails to convince - with most good films you're able to buy into it at least while you're watching it. For most of it however the twists keep your interest. When I read the comments on these pages I watched this in anticipation for the shock ending - however it's not there! You pretty much know how it's going to end 20/30 minutes before it happens. It's still an OK ending but lets not make this out to be what it isn't - a reasonable TV special that got some lottery money to become a film.

Suspenseful mystery

[jezstobbart · 9/10 · 2 October 2022]

I really enjoyed this and I like this type of movie. It's a mystery thriller with a religious element. I'm not saying this is perfect and I can tell some probably won't like it, but for me it kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is good, I liked the main character, I liked the acting, it looked good, good atmosphere, interesting religious/cult theme, good suspense, and I liked the Welsh setting of the movie.

It's like a film noir movie. Although some say it's like the wicker Man, I found it original. I think it has a deeper meaning somewhere in it about Christianity Vs the old pagan religions that used to be norm in the UK.

I can't think of anything I didn't like about the movie.