Watched it to the end in the forlorn hope the story might redeem the film. It didn't. The acting was like a really bad high school production - not one of the participants had any acting ability. The diction was stilted & the script was simply appalling. The "actors" weren't believable. The story was just dire, completed nonsense. People randomly dying "of natural causes" for no reason. Any nod to "Straw Dogs" was just an insult. I watched this on Prime because it was heralded as of the X Files stable. Run time of 1:42:44. Don't waste 1:42:44 of your life like I did. This isn't worthy of any stars.
29 Reviews
Quite Possibly The Worst Acting of the Decade
ronaldmsingh2 December 2023
Wow... just wow! Could acting genuinely be worse that this. It's just awful! I'm pretty certain everyone just read their dialogue rather than learn it, and as a result there was just no space for emotion, changing the pitch of the voice, facial expressions - just nothing!
The filming and editing are actually not bad (no worse than anything on TV) it's just the acting - it's so awful. Please tell me the cast have been put on a watchlist as a safety measure for society.
The story has all the originality, and whilst I won't give spoilers, I do feel a community service is being delivered if I stop you wasting your on this very predictable and mediocre garbage!
The filming and editing are actually not bad (no worse than anything on TV) it's just the acting - it's so awful. Please tell me the cast have been put on a watchlist as a safety measure for society.
The story has all the originality, and whilst I won't give spoilers, I do feel a community service is being delivered if I stop you wasting your on this very predictable and mediocre garbage!
Cliched Conspiracy Crud
ianmarkkerr29 November 2023
Dreadful. Awful, stilted dialogue, poorly scripted, cliched characters - angst driven writer, flirty coffee shop assistant, wooden bar staff, feisty female investigator from the department of conspiracy. It's no surprise you probablyhaven't seen any of the cast in other productions.
Plot - angst ridden writer recovering from split with girlfriend goes to mysterious small town of Dark Falls, finds out that his geologist father disappeared there years ago & that's not the only strange thing that's happened in the years since a mysterious (but unknown outside of the village) meteor shower. Joins up with feisty investigator and meets up with coffee shop assistant who knew his disappeared father.
Be warned, you'll never get this time back.
Plot - angst ridden writer recovering from split with girlfriend goes to mysterious small town of Dark Falls, finds out that his geologist father disappeared there years ago & that's not the only strange thing that's happened in the years since a mysterious (but unknown outside of the village) meteor shower. Joins up with feisty investigator and meets up with coffee shop assistant who knew his disappeared father.
Be warned, you'll never get this time back.
Slow moving but a good story
gpalmer19 January 2024
This is a really good story with understated acting and goes at quite a slow pace but it makes a change from Hollywood glitz and it's nice to hear some British accents for a change. Camera work was good and music was atmospheric and appropriate for each scene. The sound could have been better but then this was obviously made on a tight budget and at least we could hear what everyone was saying. Many have rated it poorly but it gets boring watching blockbusters all the time. At the end I felt contented and calm and wondered if it might do well in Norway or Finland where they are known for not being particularly expressive of their emotions. I'd happily watch a sequel.
Like a student film
SWIW10130 November 2023
I really wanted to like this film as I am a big supporter of British movies, regardless of how large or small the budget may be. However this film was really disappointing.
The premise was good and the script was okay but the acting was absolutely dire, the characters were under-developed and the general quality of production was very poor. To be honest, it felt like watching a student film.
The one saving grace was the filmography and there were some beautiful shots taken on location.
In conclusion, the film was very amateurish and unfortunately not near good enough to be offered on general release.
The premise was good and the script was okay but the acting was absolutely dire, the characters were under-developed and the general quality of production was very poor. To be honest, it felt like watching a student film.
The one saving grace was the filmography and there were some beautiful shots taken on location.
In conclusion, the film was very amateurish and unfortunately not near good enough to be offered on general release.
Dark Falls Flat
midnightmosesuk7 December 2023
I'm willing to give most films a chance. I've sat through some real duds from beginning to end with no complaints just so I can talk about them with a bit of authority in these reviews. I see it as the only fair way to really judge a film. This time I just couldn't do it. I tried my best but I just couldn't manage it.
It was the acting, it was appalling. The badly written dialogue was delivered with all the liveliness of a dead fish. I'm sure they're all very lovely people and I wish them all the very best for their futures but, for God's sake, please don't become actors. Work in film, if you must, but stay behind the cameras.
Not worth your time.
It was the acting, it was appalling. The badly written dialogue was delivered with all the liveliness of a dead fish. I'm sure they're all very lovely people and I wish them all the very best for their futures but, for God's sake, please don't become actors. Work in film, if you must, but stay behind the cameras.
Not worth your time.
A bunch of 12 year olds could do better
markchriswillis2 December 2023
This movie was recommended to me by Prime for some bizarre reason. The acting is really wooden and I'm sure a bunch of school children could do better. The plot is based around something strange happening at Darks Falls in the UK. The main character splits up with his fiancee and then talk with his publisher / friend about it. He is an author an is struggling to write his book because of slitting up with his fiancee. He walks into a pub at Dark Falls and everyone looks at him strangely. This is obviously a rip-off from a scene in American Werewolf in London. I could not get immersed in the film and kept on feeling it was a bunch of kids trying to may their first film to impress their parents. The sad thing was that they were grown adults! I was hoping that it was going to be some exciting alien movie but was sorely dissapointed. I could only get 28.01 into this film and then stopped it otherwhise I might have shot myself in the head to put myself out of my misery.
Holy moly
craigraferguson2 December 2023
How this crud ever made it to production is truly bizarre. It does not have one redeeming quality, and is, quite honestly, the worst film I have ever seen by a country mile. The acting is beyond dreadful; it is, by no stretch of the imagination, what you would routinely expect of some clichéd am-dram, and primary school am-dram at that. This should be mandatory viewing for budding 1st year film/art students in terms of everything you should not do. You have to see it to believe that it's possible; all it would have taken is for one rationale, reasonable person involved in this bunkum to be honest and ask "really, do you think this is any good? Should we maybe just forget it?" Just one person!
Honestly Just Awful
DolGuldurLair6 December 2023
Go to any primary school, literally any one you like, and watch their Nativity play and I promise you will have seen better acting than at any point is this absolute garbage atrocity. Some of the blame certainly goes to the ridiculously poor writing, but the delivery of lines is the worst I have ever seen in any movie in my life.
As for the plot, well there is one I guess so that's something. People go missing, people investigate, and nonsense ensues. Plus something about aliens.
The fact that this was advertised as along the lines of X-files and Da Vinci Code is beyond a complete joke. Avoid!
As for the plot, well there is one I guess so that's something. People go missing, people investigate, and nonsense ensues. Plus something about aliens.
The fact that this was advertised as along the lines of X-files and Da Vinci Code is beyond a complete joke. Avoid!
Let's get this out of the way
jkthornley-163-70473429 November 2023
So, quite a few critics on here with a heavy hand and a swift boot heading in the direction of the producer.
I really enjoyed this story. Yes the acting could be a little questionable. And the pacing could have been improved but how do you make a film like this on an incredibly tight budget?
I really did enjoy the story and the locations wherever that might have been. If anyone knows please do let me know I could use a visit.
A little more attention to detail about the security services but would have been a bit of a bonus. Having said all that, it's nice to have a mystery in the UK without the glitz of Hollywood and it's formulaic approach to keeping the oiks passivated with, rather paradoxically, fear and uncertainty. Overall a jolly good mystery and thank you to all those involved.
I really enjoyed this story. Yes the acting could be a little questionable. And the pacing could have been improved but how do you make a film like this on an incredibly tight budget?
I really did enjoy the story and the locations wherever that might have been. If anyone knows please do let me know I could use a visit.
A little more attention to detail about the security services but would have been a bit of a bonus. Having said all that, it's nice to have a mystery in the UK without the glitz of Hollywood and it's formulaic approach to keeping the oiks passivated with, rather paradoxically, fear and uncertainty. Overall a jolly good mystery and thank you to all those involved.
This a rare 1 star film. Thank goodness they didn't make it series!
f-fire-h-seth30 November 2023
This film could not be worse in every aspect of it's making. A rare example of how not to do it. For that reason it's actually worth watching.
There are some budget American films that are dire but this one would beat them all hands down. The script is terrible. The acting is wooden and has no character. The cinematography is virtually non existant. There is some entertainment in guessing the locations. There are some great writer/ directors. This guy isn't one of them. Most of he actors are quite young so will probably learn from the experiance.
Forgot to mention the plot. It tries to cover every plot twist at the same time, which in its way is quite entertaining. Weird or what.
There are some budget American films that are dire but this one would beat them all hands down. The script is terrible. The acting is wooden and has no character. The cinematography is virtually non existant. There is some entertainment in guessing the locations. There are some great writer/ directors. This guy isn't one of them. Most of he actors are quite young so will probably learn from the experiance.
Forgot to mention the plot. It tries to cover every plot twist at the same time, which in its way is quite entertaining. Weird or what.
Ok, 10 might be a stretch but the 1s are a bit harsh.
paultobin-2281012 January 2024
Yep, I said 10/10 but the 1s just seem so harsh for the effort they obviously put into it. This seemed rough for a while but when you settle into it , it has it's charms. Fair story and played with more than a nod to the classic "B Movies". Take it for what you find in the first 10 minutes and run with it. The 2 leads should stick together for a run and see where it takes them. Good craic and a thumbs up from me, just not entirely sure why! Pretty sure someone with a script and 20k in their pocket walked into a pub one night and said, I'm making a film, who's in and ran it from there. Give it a go.
Best part is the location.
sarahtaido7 December 2023
Filmed in and around Betws Y Coed, North Wales. It may have been that bad that the hotel they filmed at has since closed and is boarded up! Poor old Swallow Falls Hotel!
The film overall is not the best but it certainly cost nothing more than a few thousand pounds. Probably to cover the catering, telephone calls, fuel and hotel rooms rates. Oh and the actors may have got a few quid too.
We are so use to big budget films that it can be difficult to focus's on lower budget films like this, things like a reference to meeting at midnight at the quarry are written on a note as 12pm are small silly errors. Remind me never to go to 'Dark falls' as like the similar 'Midsummer murders' there are people dropping like flies. Hey I've seen worse 😐
The film overall is not the best but it certainly cost nothing more than a few thousand pounds. Probably to cover the catering, telephone calls, fuel and hotel rooms rates. Oh and the actors may have got a few quid too.
We are so use to big budget films that it can be difficult to focus's on lower budget films like this, things like a reference to meeting at midnight at the quarry are written on a note as 12pm are small silly errors. Remind me never to go to 'Dark falls' as like the similar 'Midsummer murders' there are people dropping like flies. Hey I've seen worse 😐
The Conspiracy of Dark Falls
CinemaSerf29 November 2023
I really hate to pan independent British films. Securing funding is always a nightmare for even the most established of producers and it must have been for auteur Flynn Moores with this mystery sci-fi. This story centres around author "Nick" (the wooden as a washboard Ethan Chapples) who arrives in the eponymous English village that has a secretive, unwelcoming, feel to it. "Nick" is pretty much on the back foot as he becomes more curious about just what is going on but fortunately, "Alex" (Jo Hart) is soon on hand to help him get to the bottom of things as his own life starts to take some unfathomable twists and turns and his mind feels like it's losing grasp on reality. Thus far, the dark forest photography works well to create a slightly claustrophobic effect that works ok, but the constant rather banal narration from our visitor and the all-too-frequent single man on the phone, or one-shot where there should be two-shot, style of static direction renders the thing increasingly paceless and actually rather dreary to watch. The plot ends up largely preposterous and the burgeoning romance between the two characters really does leave you wanting to scream "kiss already!" at the screen as the whole thing trudges along. It's had ideas - they were just left on the storyboard as the film really struggles to lift itself out of the realms of student project and I'm afraid this really doesn't have much to recommend it, sorry.
Terrible!
macrob-193044 December 2023
Dark Falls sounds like somewhere in America but this is a British Film set in Britain where it will probably stay and be forgotten and never mourned! I tried it for thirty minutes but realised it was absolute rubbish and not worth wasting any more time on. None of the participants (I can't call them actors) were any good. I think they had had their vitality drained out of them just before filming began and were in a state of apathy and lethargy.
I couldn't watch any more and didn't really care what happened to anyone.
This film was described as being similar to The X Files which I loved to watch. Don't be fooled by this statement!
I couldn't watch any more and didn't really care what happened to anyone.
This film was described as being similar to The X Files which I loved to watch. Don't be fooled by this statement!
Dire acting
pljoycegoo10 December 2023
One would think that at the start of a program the producer would pick the best actors and develop an interest in them to set the scene.
From the start you have a stop start dialog delivered by people who show very little acting skill or emotion and come across as wooden and totally unbelievable. The plot is not worth the effort to persevere amongst the cringe fest of atrocious acting.
Unfortunately this standard of programme is becoming all too common with the likes of Amazon. It is unreal that this standard of programme gets past the initial editing never mind getting fully funded to completion. Money wasted...time wasted. Talent nowhere to be seen.
From the start you have a stop start dialog delivered by people who show very little acting skill or emotion and come across as wooden and totally unbelievable. The plot is not worth the effort to persevere amongst the cringe fest of atrocious acting.
Unfortunately this standard of programme is becoming all too common with the likes of Amazon. It is unreal that this standard of programme gets past the initial editing never mind getting fully funded to completion. Money wasted...time wasted. Talent nowhere to be seen.
Needed someone to review the shooting script
jma-2497322 February 2024
The film isn't very good. The script needing a good tightening and 15 or 20 minutes cutting to improve the pace. Most of the acting was amateurish apart from Ethan Chapples who did a decent job with a tough script overall. I understand this was filmed over 5 days so you can imagine the pressure the cast and crew were under to get everything covered. Yes it's low budget but the locations are nice and the ideas are there. Most of the problem revolves around the lack of fun and spontaneity you get from rehearsals and improvisation. Too much focus on mobile phone conversations leaving actors alone with no one to interact with. A good script doctor could have tightened things up and the film could have been better.
Absolute disaster 1 stars just for how bad
charliebeech9110 December 2023
This has been be one of the worst films I have watched in years. I think my local collage could do a better job. The acting was awful and the script wasn't any better. In all fairness we did watch the whole film for the comedy value of just how unbelievable the whole thing was. The flying and falling entertain me greatly and got a few laughs. If you're studying in college and need to write a paper of what not to do this is the ultimate example. Not sure how this has managed to get on prime in 2023 we you can clearly tell this was filmed years ago from the clothes, furniture and technology. 1 star for the laughs.
Avoid at all costs
jcareycarey30 December 2023
From the word go this movie was awful. The acting, which is using the word in its loosest form was dreadful in the extreme. It was like the "actors" had all been gathered in a room and asked to read a phonebook from start to finish while being filmed. The only good thing about this movie, is I can safely say I wont see anything more dreadful for quite some time. Surely someone had to have watched this garbage before foisting it on an unsuspecting public. I have to admit I couldnt force (torture) myself to watch more than half an hour. If I could have given it less than one star, I would have. Zero is more than it deserves.
Garth Marenghi's Dark Falls
alexsinclair-912404 December 2023
I really want to support British films but this is really not very good.
I can usually overlook dodgy production (especially sound which was shiiiiite), dodgy script, and a weird obsession with showing people on the phone, even dreadfully wooden acting, but when they are all combined on one film....
I get that there's probably no budget on this film and the actors presumably were volunteers, but wow. I'd assume it was a student film but I don't think it is.
It's actually quite funny after the first half, but for all the wrong reasons.
I suppose everyone's got to start somewhere, and I'm no film director so what do I know, but I'm glad I didn't have to pay to watch it.
I can usually overlook dodgy production (especially sound which was shiiiiite), dodgy script, and a weird obsession with showing people on the phone, even dreadfully wooden acting, but when they are all combined on one film....
I get that there's probably no budget on this film and the actors presumably were volunteers, but wow. I'd assume it was a student film but I don't think it is.
It's actually quite funny after the first half, but for all the wrong reasons.
I suppose everyone's got to start somewhere, and I'm no film director so what do I know, but I'm glad I didn't have to pay to watch it.
Avoid, please.
ian-289-24372514 December 2023
Firstly I didn't read any reviews
before watching. Big mistake.
This film is certainly not a big budget production. The phrase 'you get what you pay for' springs to mind. It is as if scenes between two people were recorded separately, as there is no natural flow of conversation. This makes the performances very wooden and the characters not believable. If scenes were recorded separately this accounts for no emotional response between the actors. They don't react naturally to the last line spoken.
The film is British made and that is to be applauded and encouraged but potential producers, directors, editors and actors use this film as an example of how not to do it.
Reading the summary on Amazon Prime Video whet my appetite and really looked forward to watching. It took 1 hr 42 minutes of my time and I'm not getting that back.
This film is certainly not a big budget production. The phrase 'you get what you pay for' springs to mind. It is as if scenes between two people were recorded separately, as there is no natural flow of conversation. This makes the performances very wooden and the characters not believable. If scenes were recorded separately this accounts for no emotional response between the actors. They don't react naturally to the last line spoken.
The film is British made and that is to be applauded and encouraged but potential producers, directors, editors and actors use this film as an example of how not to do it.
Reading the summary on Amazon Prime Video whet my appetite and really looked forward to watching. It took 1 hr 42 minutes of my time and I'm not getting that back.
Thoroughly enjoyed the experience
lc-985139 December 2023
Having reading the previous reviews I wasn't expecting much, but to be honest we where pleasantly surprised.
We watched this film as a family and I have to say we all had a really good time. You need to leave your Hollywood expectations at the door and appreciate it for what it is.
A home grown film based upon maximum effort from all those involved and with a limited budget. Kudos.
We weren't expecting cutting edge CGI, nor were we expecting character driven story or dialogue. What we did did get was a really enjoyable, easily relatable entertaining film.
Sit back and try and appreciate the effort involved in making this film.
We watched this film as a family and I have to say we all had a really good time. You need to leave your Hollywood expectations at the door and appreciate it for what it is.
A home grown film based upon maximum effort from all those involved and with a limited budget. Kudos.
We weren't expecting cutting edge CGI, nor were we expecting character driven story or dialogue. What we did did get was a really enjoyable, easily relatable entertaining film.
Sit back and try and appreciate the effort involved in making this film.
Dark Falls is a Darkplace
armaitussyn4 December 2023
I see the disparaging comparisons to the vegetable works of Garth Marenghi, but hold children, for this tale has more to offer.
Sure, the production values are low, and the heartfelt performances of the cast jar somewhat when compared to modern, striking, cinema. But the overall tale is good, and well told by its narrator.
The beautiful surrounds of Betws-y-coed are not what one expects from.a town with the US styled "Dark Falls, population 890+". The locals all speak with a southern English elocution that you wouldn't expect in the mountains of North Wales, but the tale is still good.
The characters are hit and miss, the protaganist is confusing in that he is both hateful and endearing, but why oh why does Wales have park rangers who handle police matters, and why do MI5 have q branch that do CID work, with guns? In fact, why do the townsfolk have so many gun? It's the UK. We use machetes and hammers, not guns.
Sure, the production values are low, and the heartfelt performances of the cast jar somewhat when compared to modern, striking, cinema. But the overall tale is good, and well told by its narrator.
The beautiful surrounds of Betws-y-coed are not what one expects from.a town with the US styled "Dark Falls, population 890+". The locals all speak with a southern English elocution that you wouldn't expect in the mountains of North Wales, but the tale is still good.
The characters are hit and miss, the protaganist is confusing in that he is both hateful and endearing, but why oh why does Wales have park rangers who handle police matters, and why do MI5 have q branch that do CID work, with guns? In fact, why do the townsfolk have so many gun? It's the UK. We use machetes and hammers, not guns.
O.M.G.
euronick611 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
O. M. G. ....... the acting in this film is some of the worst acting I have ever seen ... how do they get away with it? .......
Did the makers of this film not realize how bad it was .. they obviously need some friends who will tell them the truth.
The female agent was the most unconvincing secret agent I have ever seen ..... why did she climb on the table to look in the loft, where she had to stretch up to look in, when Nick was at least a foot taller than her and could have looked in the loft with ease !!!!!! And how did she know that Sarah had died of natural causes? .. she isn't a pathologist or a Coroner and she didn't even examine her !!!!
I think out of all the atrocious acting the worst two for me were the ones who played Alan and the one who played the Park Ranger.
To save your sanity avoid this at all costs.
The female agent was the most unconvincing secret agent I have ever seen ..... why did she climb on the table to look in the loft, where she had to stretch up to look in, when Nick was at least a foot taller than her and could have looked in the loft with ease !!!!!! And how did she know that Sarah had died of natural causes? .. she isn't a pathologist or a Coroner and she didn't even examine her !!!!
I think out of all the atrocious acting the worst two for me were the ones who played Alan and the one who played the Park Ranger.
To save your sanity avoid this at all costs.
As bad as it gets
Gewitty6 January 2024
I began watching this and after five minutes got the feeling that it was going to be a dud. After twenty minutes I gave up. Almost everything about the film is appallingly bad; the dialogue; the acting, the plot; all scream, 'amateur dramatics'.
Right from the start, there was not a single scene which looked or sounded convincing. The characters were wooden and the script sounded like something out of the last century (or maybe the one before that). If I try very hard to find something positive to say, it would be that the photography and editing aren't bad. But that in no way does anything to save what is a real turkey of a film.
Right from the start, there was not a single scene which looked or sounded convincing. The characters were wooden and the script sounded like something out of the last century (or maybe the one before that). If I try very hard to find something positive to say, it would be that the photography and editing aren't bad. But that in no way does anything to save what is a real turkey of a film.
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