With the recent flow of found footage and torture porn movies flooding the market I thought the genre may be receding and we might,just might return to genuine scary and well thought out horror. Well I was wrong.They're still churning em out I.m afraid.Tha sad thing is that this film could have actually been SO MUCH BETTER!!! Daniel Baldwin,never being an Box office draw shows why...overacting creates what should have been a menacing character but results in a totally laughable villain.The tension was non existent and the long long drawn out torture scenes are so exploitative and quite sick,it just leaves an empty pit in the stomach and you have to ask yourself,Why I am bothering?Well I did and I wasn't wrong.Film runs out of ideas.logical ending and sadly fails in every dept.Don't waist your time.Don.t say I didn't warn you!!!
16 Reviews
Good movie if you like torture.
MoviesforRelaxation8 June 2020
A good movie if you like torture of women and hopelessness. Acting was solid. This didnt feel like a movie, more like a front row seat to a torture show. There wasn't much of a plot, it appears that the writer focused more on torture than building a plot. The characters were all one dimensional due to the lack of plot building.
The movie was uncomfortable/ disturbing to watch. I wish I could get my time back from watching this film. It had potential but sadly fell short.
The movie was uncomfortable/ disturbing to watch. I wish I could get my time back from watching this film. It had potential but sadly fell short.
Terrible film with unsatisfying conclusion!
leahdragon7 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Welp, i believe my title says it all. Icky torture film with inept cops and subtitles that merely refer to one of the victims as "black girl" ( although her name karen appears in credits.) Daniel baldwin is the over the top creep taunting police with pompous letters and an impressive victim count of 85 victims! How someone can abduct 85 women in one area and be home free leads me to believe the police force is seriously iq deficient and understaffed. At least we are spared the expected love subplot betwixt the leads.
The ending is so abrupt and stupid that it feels like they ran out of budget or shooting time and just said, screw it, we have enough footage, lets just cobble this junk together. It could have had a much better ending if the all the victims werent just pointlessly killed off after banding together to escape, and the good (not that bright) doctor getting kidnapped herself. (Although honestly, how could you not see that coming?) Hopefully there will not be a sequel despite the extremely loose conclusion. Although, if there is, i will definitely watch because crappy movies are kinda my thing.
The ending is so abrupt and stupid that it feels like they ran out of budget or shooting time and just said, screw it, we have enough footage, lets just cobble this junk together. It could have had a much better ending if the all the victims werent just pointlessly killed off after banding together to escape, and the good (not that bright) doctor getting kidnapped herself. (Although honestly, how could you not see that coming?) Hopefully there will not be a sequel despite the extremely loose conclusion. Although, if there is, i will definitely watch because crappy movies are kinda my thing.
Powerful and creepy; harrowing stuff
stsinger14 August 2011
A few years ago Chris Kazmier and Christopher Hutson put out a film called "Dark Reality." It was a very different type of film; mostly improvised, it dealt with several women who had been captured by a lunatic and imprisoned. It focused almost entirely on the women in captivity. Strong stuff that was difficult to watch -- the IMDb page now claims the cast and crew thought it was "a joke," but if you watch the film and see what the actresses put themselves through, it's no joke.
Now a few years later, Kazmier is back with an expansion of the original film called "A Darker Reality." Caught it on VOD recently in advance of its DVD release. The film takes the original premise and expands it. It shows us the actual psycho (played by Daniel Baldwin -- no spoilers there, that's his entire character) and shows the police attempts to find and capture him and save the women.
Let's get the problems out of the way first -- the police stuff is bad. Pretty much "Movie/TV Police 101" -- gruff detective gets a partner he doesn't want, etc. But much of the movie focuses on the trapped women and the narrative of an escaped survivor, and holy crap, it is harrowing. You really feel the utter helplessness of these women and it's legitimately disturbing. And somehow, having Daniel Baldwin as the psycho makes it even a little creepier.
It's not perfect and there are things that stretch credibility even in this type of film (for example, the psycho manages to have an absurd amount of victims in one area) and while the ending is a punch in the gut, it's a little confusing. And as you can tell from this review, it is definitely not for everyone. But it is very well done, and I am definitely looking forward to purchasing this film when it comes out on DVD so hopefully get some "Behind the scenes" things.
Now a few years later, Kazmier is back with an expansion of the original film called "A Darker Reality." Caught it on VOD recently in advance of its DVD release. The film takes the original premise and expands it. It shows us the actual psycho (played by Daniel Baldwin -- no spoilers there, that's his entire character) and shows the police attempts to find and capture him and save the women.
Let's get the problems out of the way first -- the police stuff is bad. Pretty much "Movie/TV Police 101" -- gruff detective gets a partner he doesn't want, etc. But much of the movie focuses on the trapped women and the narrative of an escaped survivor, and holy crap, it is harrowing. You really feel the utter helplessness of these women and it's legitimately disturbing. And somehow, having Daniel Baldwin as the psycho makes it even a little creepier.
It's not perfect and there are things that stretch credibility even in this type of film (for example, the psycho manages to have an absurd amount of victims in one area) and while the ending is a punch in the gut, it's a little confusing. And as you can tell from this review, it is definitely not for everyone. But it is very well done, and I am definitely looking forward to purchasing this film when it comes out on DVD so hopefully get some "Behind the scenes" things.
Utter garbage bordering on a snuff film
Robert_duder7 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The SAW franchise had a lot of brilliance to it including a great storyline for the most part. However, it also spawned a myriad of copycat films that have to keep pushing the envelope further and further so that they aren't even your typical horror film but something in a different genre altogether. There is grotesque, and horrific and then there is just too much gore especially when you're aiming for realism. One of the things that made films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre so popular was the fact that it used imagination to further the horror. You didn't see limbs and body parts being hacked off or people being literally tortured in front of you, it left it up to the viewer to imagine what was happening. Sometimes you just don't need to see the torture. A Darker Reality is exactly that...horrific torture...a weak story and just gory murder after murder. The description of the film says its about the girls finally rising up and fighting against the killer but for the four minutes that happens its unsuccessful and the killer just chops them up before they get away. Stupid, trivial, grotesque and hard to watch.
The only reason I score this slightly higher than a big fat zero is the performances in the film aren't a complete waste. Daniel Baldwin actually plays the twisted, psychopath pretty well. He is deeply disturbed, twisted, and actually carries the film pretty darn well considering. He might be the only reason I didn't just turn it off in the first fifteen minutes. Sunny Doench and James C. Burns are practically useless as the two cops chasing down the killer. The story is barely on them and there is no great chase or mystery unravelled. I think they are put into the story because it would seem strange to not have someone trying to catch the killer...but they are truly useless. All the girls, the victims in the film do a great job of being terrified and tortured however unfortunate that claim to fame might be.
Co-creator and director Chris Kazmier is heralded by some fans as being a 'dark and brilliant' horror creator but I think he uses violent images as an excuse to be entertaining. I am a huge horror fan, I love slasher flicks but horror is taking an unfortunate turn into this reality driven blood fest and that's unfortunate. Even if you are a fan of SAW this is just utter garbage. Its an hour and a half of girls being tortured which in my book is a snuff film not entertainment. Dump this one!! 2/10
The only reason I score this slightly higher than a big fat zero is the performances in the film aren't a complete waste. Daniel Baldwin actually plays the twisted, psychopath pretty well. He is deeply disturbed, twisted, and actually carries the film pretty darn well considering. He might be the only reason I didn't just turn it off in the first fifteen minutes. Sunny Doench and James C. Burns are practically useless as the two cops chasing down the killer. The story is barely on them and there is no great chase or mystery unravelled. I think they are put into the story because it would seem strange to not have someone trying to catch the killer...but they are truly useless. All the girls, the victims in the film do a great job of being terrified and tortured however unfortunate that claim to fame might be.
Co-creator and director Chris Kazmier is heralded by some fans as being a 'dark and brilliant' horror creator but I think he uses violent images as an excuse to be entertaining. I am a huge horror fan, I love slasher flicks but horror is taking an unfortunate turn into this reality driven blood fest and that's unfortunate. Even if you are a fan of SAW this is just utter garbage. Its an hour and a half of girls being tortured which in my book is a snuff film not entertainment. Dump this one!! 2/10
Stupid! Perverted!
africe8 December 2019
Utter nonsense! A waste of time. Who the hell wants to watch a movie that kills off all of the victims of abuse? People want movies that gives them a sense of closure. This was basically a perverted snuff film. If I could give it a negative review I certainly would!!!
couldn't watch it all
annieismycat22 December 2012
Usually I have a strong stomach for gore and guts... but this movie is just disturbing. I hope to God there is no one alive that would actually be that depraved. THe acting of the girls was very convincing , you felt their pain, the acting of everyone else was boring and uninteresting. I wonder why well known actors would take on this kind of movie. If the point of the movie was to make the make you want to vomit over the reality that this could actually happen, then it rates a 10. I couldn't watch the whole thing. I felt depraved even watching as much as I did, if I would have watched the entire movie I would feel like I was OK with what was happening... guess you'll have to watch it and decide for yourself.
Daniel Baldwin is good
kezopster4 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I'm hesitant watching movies featuring other members of the Baldwin family not naked Alec. Sorry guys, but there have been quite a few clunkers along the way, you know? So, I was skeptical going into this and pleasantly surprised with the performance submitted by Daniel Baldwin as the villain. (No spoiler, it's revealed early in the film.) (As another reviewer mentioned, the cop scenes are trite. For worse, stilted cop scenes, see the movie THE WICKED.) From reading the other reviews, I'm guessing the point of the movie was focusing on the trauma being experienced by the victims, experiencing their horror. That's probably half the film and if I consider my viewing through that lens, then I still can't up my score. The female actors did a good job, but it still felt over-the-top too often.
While the film attempts giving motivation to "The Ghost," his methods feel haphazard. SAW had motivation and over-the-top style to the killings. HOSTEL did the same. Heck, even Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE or THE HILLS HAVE EYES had the killing room better thought out. Or, maybe I watch too much DEXTER.
While the film attempts giving motivation to "The Ghost," his methods feel haphazard. SAW had motivation and over-the-top style to the killings. HOSTEL did the same. Heck, even Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE or THE HILLS HAVE EYES had the killing room better thought out. Or, maybe I watch too much DEXTER.
Shallow & Redundant
co677916 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie reminded the wife & I of our neighbors oh yes very sincere in that statement (a criminal family of four)
The Baldwin brother as mentioned fit the part well, looks like my neighbor too the needless senseless torture of random people just makes us wonder about the person standing next to you in the grocery store.
As mentioned its a very cruel look into most peoples worst nightmare, the wife & I felt that is what this movie brought out and it did it well, I can not believe any human could gain pleasure from this movie.
Very little nudity & not much violence as in "Friday the 13th" / "Halloween" type this is more mentally abusive with filth & fear. We rooted for Laila Dagher (she played her part well) to get the gals to safety.
This movie is really not for most, we gave it a 5 as it held our attention hoping for the victims to get free. it had the "I own buildings & do not work" mentality which does not work for us.
As mentioned its a very cruel look into most peoples worst nightmare, the wife & I felt that is what this movie brought out and it did it well, I can not believe any human could gain pleasure from this movie.
Very little nudity & not much violence as in "Friday the 13th" / "Halloween" type this is more mentally abusive with filth & fear. We rooted for Laila Dagher (she played her part well) to get the gals to safety.
This movie is really not for most, we gave it a 5 as it held our attention hoping for the victims to get free. it had the "I own buildings & do not work" mentality which does not work for us.
Disturbing..love it!
andishorrorblog1 February 2014
Some movies are just down right disturbing. The imagery is so dark it sticks with you and not easily forgotten. This is one of those movies. Daniel Baldwin does a decent job playing the sadistic killer. The only reason I didn't give this movie higher marks was the acting by the cop and forensics lady, everyone else's acting was pretty good. It's odd to just have a couple of bad actors
either they are all good or all bad. Anyway, these two were bad enough to stick out.
The story itself, a sick killer who kidnaps, tortures and kills woman isn't as clichéd as it sounds. The imagery and torture is very intimate, in some scenes it felt as if your right there in the same room. Not many movies can boast such a quality.
If you got a strong stomach and can handle torture movies, I recommend this one!
The story itself, a sick killer who kidnaps, tortures and kills woman isn't as clichéd as it sounds. The imagery and torture is very intimate, in some scenes it felt as if your right there in the same room. Not many movies can boast such a quality.
If you got a strong stomach and can handle torture movies, I recommend this one!
Not bad at all.
horizon200824 June 2015
Having sat through such horror offerings as August Underground, A Serbian Film, all the Vomit Gore movies, the recent American Guinea Pig, Subconscious Cruelty, Melancholie Der Engel etc I guess you could say I'm at the pinnacle of ultimate horror experience. It doesn't really go above those movies unless you want to venture into real footage of humanities follies and Darker Reality just isn't up there with the big boys. That said, its surprisingly decent. The cop scenes are very pedestrian as a few others have said, but the victim and antagonist scenes are quite effective. The acting is easily an 8 on the 10 scale. I don't know what it is about those Baldwin brothers but all of them disgust me a little bit, their big fat faces and clunky look, so having one of them in here helped the plot for me, Daniel Baldwin is pretty good in this. A lot of the film actually doesn't show any physical body harm at all, most scenes are after the fact, or relayed via other means, but there are many shots of chained up women in a very distressed state and i really liked how they had the females adapt to their situation trying to stop each other screaming or doing anything that would bring the killer back into the room they were incarcerated in. As a whole, the film works pretty well, and I can see how for many here it was too much, but for those into the more extreme horror or those that enjoyed films like The Seasoning House, you'll probably love this. Grim, disturbing, and a little bit nasty. Ooh yeah! :-)
Not nearly as disturbing as some would have you believe
Mister-Creeper3 August 2013
While A DARKER REALITY is the very definition of what many would call "Torture Porn," it is not nearly as disturbing as many would have us believe. I was expecting much worse, and in all honesty, hoping for much worse. To me, A DARKER REALITY is very far from reality. That is the main reason I don't view it as a very disturbing film. I'm not saying that some of the content is not disturbing, it's just not portrayed in a real way. Yes, women are tortured and they do suffer, but much of the suffering is them just chained up together trying to figure out how to survive. I'm not trying to take anything away from this film, or for that matter I'm not trying to lessen the disturbing parts. Many people will find this film quite disturbing, but for those of us who have "seen it all," so to speak, will not be that disturbed by its content. In my eyes, it's neither a bad film nor a great film. It's just a bit above average, especially considering it was only made for an estimated $500,000.
So in conclusion, A DARKER REALITY is not for everyone. If watching women being tortured will disturb you, then stay clear. While I have seen much more disturbing films, a lot of people have not and will not like this film, hence its 3.6 rating at the time of this review. Remember...it's only a movie. If you have sat through films such as HOSTEL or SAW, then you shouldn't have much trouble sitting through this one. Not that A DARKER REALITY is as good as either of those films, because it's not, but...well, you get the point (hopefully). I think I've rambled on long enough. A DARKER REALITY is a decent film in the "Torture Porn" category, better than a lot of others. I give it a solid 6 out of 10. Worth at least 1 viewing, if you like these kind of films.
So in conclusion, A DARKER REALITY is not for everyone. If watching women being tortured will disturb you, then stay clear. While I have seen much more disturbing films, a lot of people have not and will not like this film, hence its 3.6 rating at the time of this review. Remember...it's only a movie. If you have sat through films such as HOSTEL or SAW, then you shouldn't have much trouble sitting through this one. Not that A DARKER REALITY is as good as either of those films, because it's not, but...well, you get the point (hopefully). I think I've rambled on long enough. A DARKER REALITY is a decent film in the "Torture Porn" category, better than a lot of others. I give it a solid 6 out of 10. Worth at least 1 viewing, if you like these kind of films.
Far from great, but also not in the realm of awful.
acedj19 March 2020
This is the story of a serial killer and torturer of women known as The Ghost. There is a cop dedicated to finding him and saving the women he has in his torture dungeon before he can kill them. There is also a shrink that is trying to get information from one woman that survived and escaped him. This movie could have been so much better. I do not know if it was the writing, directing or editing that failed here, but someone failed. There were some tense moments and I must say that I was happy with how it ended. I saw a few reviews where the author was not happy, because without giving away too much, this film does not have the traditional happy ending.
One thing that always gets me in movies like this is the attention to some details, while completely blowing it with others. My case in this film was one of the girls had been held captive for a while, how long is never said. They made her teeth look like they had not seen a decent brushing in a while. Good detail. The girls were filthy, clearly had not been given the opportunity to shower for their entire time there, yet all were clean shaven. I know it goes against modern views on how women should look, but filmmakers really need to start paying attention to such details. Women that are stranded or held captive do not have perfect hair and make-up (anything from Gilligan's Island to Lost) and they certainly do not groom themselves, like in this film.
Oh, and try not to pay attention to the microphone packs that several of the actors wear in this, how they missed that is beyond me.
One thing that always gets me in movies like this is the attention to some details, while completely blowing it with others. My case in this film was one of the girls had been held captive for a while, how long is never said. They made her teeth look like they had not seen a decent brushing in a while. Good detail. The girls were filthy, clearly had not been given the opportunity to shower for their entire time there, yet all were clean shaven. I know it goes against modern views on how women should look, but filmmakers really need to start paying attention to such details. Women that are stranded or held captive do not have perfect hair and make-up (anything from Gilligan's Island to Lost) and they certainly do not groom themselves, like in this film.
Oh, and try not to pay attention to the microphone packs that several of the actors wear in this, how they missed that is beyond me.
A nice nasty little movie
TdSmth52 April 2014
A cop is investigating crimes by a serial killer. A woman somehow escaped the killer's clutches and is in the hospital. There the cop runs into an attractive psychiatrist looking into the case. But as usual, he's got to be a jerk about working with someone else. She warns him that the girl is too traumatized and won't talk to some tough cop. And she's right. The girl opens up to her and we see the things the killer makes the girls he kidnaps go through. And it's pretty nasty stuff.
We also learn about the killer. He's got a slow brother that helps out. He gives long speeches to the victims and all this came about by how he was treated by his mother. The focus now shifts entirely to the girls in the basement, and how they gather strength and are able to do something about their situation. But from the escaped girl, we learn something else. We learn that the killer has a next victim in mind.
A Darker Reality surprised me. I wasn't expecting much. It has a 90s B movie look and feel to it. But it does have the courage to take psychological terror to a new level and it's pretty uncompromising about it.
We also learn about the killer. He's got a slow brother that helps out. He gives long speeches to the victims and all this came about by how he was treated by his mother. The focus now shifts entirely to the girls in the basement, and how they gather strength and are able to do something about their situation. But from the escaped girl, we learn something else. We learn that the killer has a next victim in mind.
A Darker Reality surprised me. I wasn't expecting much. It has a 90s B movie look and feel to it. But it does have the courage to take psychological terror to a new level and it's pretty uncompromising about it.
underestimated and underrated
xxxxxdarkmoon26 October 2022
The overall story is believable and disturbing. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you listen to his story when he explains why he has become such a monster, Jesus Christ. There are many incredible, disturbing scenes. For example, in one scene, she is "allowed" to cut off pieces from a fresh, dead body, for their food. (!) The body of a man she was forced to allure into a doorway at night on the day before, pretending that she needed help. Then that helping guy was killed from behind by that psychopath. That "you can cut" scene and many others are fantastic acting, that woman is so scared that watching it makes viewers with empathy feel scared as well.
Scary atmosphere at best. This movie is so underrated. But be warned. This is not for the faint of heart.
Scary atmosphere at best. This movie is so underrated. But be warned. This is not for the faint of heart.
Other reviewers don't know what they're talking about
ppswb10 March 2023
Honestly a great film. Just not for everyone.
This isn't for regular horror fans, it's definitely a certain kind of f**led up and is in its own sub genre. Don't watch if you're expecting a saw film level movie, but if you like actual gore/snuff films and are an indie fan this could be great for you. It's just not aimed at the general public.
It's made very well. Well acted, makeup/sfx is amazing, directed good, doesn't really feel "low budget" in that way. And it isn't just straight torture p*rn, it actually had a decent plot.
Interesting unique characters with a story line as well as the "shock" content and torture. Nice 50/50 balance of both.
Criminally underrated. Would recommend to anyone who likes indie horror or gore/shock movies. Will keep you watching for sure.
This isn't for regular horror fans, it's definitely a certain kind of f**led up and is in its own sub genre. Don't watch if you're expecting a saw film level movie, but if you like actual gore/snuff films and are an indie fan this could be great for you. It's just not aimed at the general public.
It's made very well. Well acted, makeup/sfx is amazing, directed good, doesn't really feel "low budget" in that way. And it isn't just straight torture p*rn, it actually had a decent plot.
Interesting unique characters with a story line as well as the "shock" content and torture. Nice 50/50 balance of both.
Criminally underrated. Would recommend to anyone who likes indie horror or gore/shock movies. Will keep you watching for sure.
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