This film held my interest throughout because of the gentle characterizations of interesting and troubled people confronted by a mystery that may or may not be supernatural. The four actors convey subtle emotions in a very realistic way that moved me. The string guitar soundscape added to a sense of both reverie and reverance for the characters and viewer alike. I'm glad I had a chance to see this film.
23 Reviews
Thoughtful film
forthemovies25 December 2021
A paranormal investigator (Marin Ireland) researches a home where a widowed husband (Jim Gaffigan) experiences paranormal activity after his wife passes away in a plane crash.
Light from Light is a film that is very slow paced but in a calm relaxing way. The calming music in specific scenes gives the film mystery throughout the film. The characters deep conversations about life gives the feel/tone of the film a more realistic and natural approach. Light from Light is a melodic mystery on the feelings we experience from paranormal activity.
Light from Light is a recommend film to watch. Overall a slow paced, thoughtful film with impressive performances from Marin Ireland and Jim Gaffigan.
Light from Light is a film that is very slow paced but in a calm relaxing way. The calming music in specific scenes gives the film mystery throughout the film. The characters deep conversations about life gives the feel/tone of the film a more realistic and natural approach. Light from Light is a melodic mystery on the feelings we experience from paranormal activity.
Light from Light is a recommend film to watch. Overall a slow paced, thoughtful film with impressive performances from Marin Ireland and Jim Gaffigan.
I felt chills
whatithinkis13 November 2021
You'll know the moment.
A surprising and powerful moment in an otherwise still, and subtle film.
Beautifully filmed. Delicately written, directed, and performed with, I feel compelled to say, respect. Not burdened by a need for conclusions.
A surprising and powerful moment in an otherwise still, and subtle film.
Beautifully filmed. Delicately written, directed, and performed with, I feel compelled to say, respect. Not burdened by a need for conclusions.
Nice Job
Craftsman180030 April 2022
I can't say I enjoyed this one as much the previous film directed by Paul Harrell "Something, Anything", but it was enjoyable, engaging, and interesting. Am happy to see the relatively high Metacritic score though. Maybe I need to revisit this one!
Not Meant For Me
Foutainoflife17 May 2021
I guess this film is just not meant for me. While the filming is great and I thought the actors were decent, there just wasn't enough going on here to hold my attention. It is painfully slow and nothing really happens.
There's no suspense. No excitement and I don't really get the point. It was just boring.
There's no suspense. No excitement and I don't really get the point. It was just boring.
What was the point?
Brin207031 March 2020
slow goes nowhere
braquecubism26 December 2020
Minute to minute it's slow & uneventful.
quiet, thougthful with nothing to say.
As for entertainment, paint drying on the wall.
the lead actress might have been good if she had something to do; ditto the other actors. the cinematography ws good, I think, maybe. all so dull.
the lead actress might have been good if she had something to do; ditto the other actors. the cinematography ws good, I think, maybe. all so dull.
A meditative delight
matahari20-120 April 2020
This film is a perfect, searching and soulful little piece of film making. All four people brought to life here are living in hope for something outside of themselves and beyond the mundane but necessary realities of work, study and getting by. They seek life. They seek light. They seek love. And death is the undercurrent and background and vehicle through which this search takes on a more urgent and pressing need for meaning. And of course, there are various histories, some spoken and others not, relating to grief and loss and a need for forgiveness and closure. The father who 'drank himself to death'. The deceased wife who 'had something going on with another man'. The single mother who despite doing her best, cannot protect her son from the risks life and love inevitably bring, without hurting him herself.
The title of the film, Light from Light. is borrowed from the Nicene Creed and the context in which it is used here, is, to quote a modern shibboleth, spiritual. not religious.
It's beautifully filmed with a mellow soundtrack and lends itself to reflection over entertainment, much to the chagrin of at least one other reviewer here so far, I see (with much amusement).
Enjoy!
The title of the film, Light from Light. is borrowed from the Nicene Creed and the context in which it is used here, is, to quote a modern shibboleth, spiritual. not religious.
It's beautifully filmed with a mellow soundtrack and lends itself to reflection over entertainment, much to the chagrin of at least one other reviewer here so far, I see (with much amusement).
Enjoy!
Not the usual....
grahame_cummins-579-6317998 December 2021
I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and also at times disappointed. The story is essentially about dealing with grief, and coming to terms with loss wrapped in a ghost story. The music score was surprisingly good, it stood out. If you are expecting a horror, do not bother, this or more of a loss, coming of age, new love, fear of being alone as children grow up kind of film.
Has the Gift
westsideschl3 September 2020
Positive:
The most interesting part was a few seconds of reading from Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
Negatives:
Lacked subtitles for the elderly, disabled, hearing impaired, and ESL viewers. Disrespectful & cheap on the part of the producers especially when audio & enunciation is off. Normally I can hear at an 11 on my tele, but had to, at times, turn it up to 31 to hear what was being said.
Droning background music.
Very slow. Suppose to be a paranormal search of why a dead wife is communicating in odd ways with her husband. Most of film time is family life for a single mom paranormal investigator (believes she has the gift).
Why is it that the spirits always communicate in odd ways such as flashing lights, or in this case a few seconds of turning the pages on a book opened on a desktop. If you have this invisible physicality just write a message saying not to worry; you love it in your new home.
Let there be light
ferguson-610 June 2019
Oak Cliff Film Festival 2019
Greetings again from the darkness. Festivals are often programmed with many films that will never be screened outside of a festival environment ... low-budget passion projects to be viewed only by those with an appreciation (bordering on obsession) of deep cut and one-off films. Writer-Director Paul Harrill (SOMETHING, ANYTHING) has possibly bridged the gap with a film that capitalizes on grief, while excelling in quietness and stillness.
Marin Ireland ("Homeland") stars as Sheila, a single mom who plods through each day at her dead-end job as a rental car agent. We learn from a radio interview that Sheila may also have a connection to the afterlife, and she sometimes works as a ghost hunter or paranormal investigator - although, she has somehow lost her crew. Still, this doesn't stop a Priest from reaching out to her in hopes that she can help Richard (Jim Gaffigan), a distraught widower who has reported strange occurrences in his farmhouse - occurrences that may or may not be related to his dead wife, and occurrences that he may or may not be imagining.
Sheila takes the job (even though she's no Zelda Rubinstein) and recruits her teenage son Owen (Josh Wiggins, so good in HELLION, 2014) and his friend-study partner-would be girlfriend Lucy (Athena Frizzell) to help set up cameras and recording devices at Richard's house. It's at this point where it should be noted that this is not a horror film. It's not even a thriller. And even though Gaffigan co-stars, it's certainly not a comedy. It's not even really a ghost story or a romantic tale, although those elements do exist.
The intrigue is derived from these four characters. These are not special or extraordinary people - just normal folks trying to figure out life. We learn the inner struggles of each, and as viewers we are joined at the hip with them. It's been a year since Richard's wife died in the crash, and he's still coming to terms with her death, and even more so, the affair she confessed. Sheila is wondering where she fits in the world, and her advice to Owen proves the level of overprotectiveness she has for emotion. Owen likes Lucy, but doesn't see the point in starting a relationship that will end when she heads off to school, and Lucy is confused by his reaction to her strong attraction to him.
Ms. Ireland and Mr. Gaffigan are both excellent here, and having recently seen the latter in THEM THAT FOLLOW, I'm not the least bit surprised that he can pull off such a dramatic turn. The film reaches a different level in their scenes together - especially a hike to the crash site located within the Great Smoky Mountains. Not much is said, and there is little action, but the scene solidifies all the emotions hinted at in the preceding scenes.
A film that might be characterized by some as slow and dull, may just strike a chord with enough folks to gain some momentum for an audience. David Lowery, the director of A GHOST STORY, 2017) is an executive producer, so he has a track record of success with stories that are understated and quiet. Are there ghosts among us - possibly even the living? Richard and Sheila come pretty close. Additionally, special recognition goes out for a practical effect that is the film's crescendo ... and it involves Tolstoy! So rather than view this as a bit of a downer, as the title suggests, we should let there be light.
Marin Ireland ("Homeland") stars as Sheila, a single mom who plods through each day at her dead-end job as a rental car agent. We learn from a radio interview that Sheila may also have a connection to the afterlife, and she sometimes works as a ghost hunter or paranormal investigator - although, she has somehow lost her crew. Still, this doesn't stop a Priest from reaching out to her in hopes that she can help Richard (Jim Gaffigan), a distraught widower who has reported strange occurrences in his farmhouse - occurrences that may or may not be related to his dead wife, and occurrences that he may or may not be imagining.
Sheila takes the job (even though she's no Zelda Rubinstein) and recruits her teenage son Owen (Josh Wiggins, so good in HELLION, 2014) and his friend-study partner-would be girlfriend Lucy (Athena Frizzell) to help set up cameras and recording devices at Richard's house. It's at this point where it should be noted that this is not a horror film. It's not even a thriller. And even though Gaffigan co-stars, it's certainly not a comedy. It's not even really a ghost story or a romantic tale, although those elements do exist.
The intrigue is derived from these four characters. These are not special or extraordinary people - just normal folks trying to figure out life. We learn the inner struggles of each, and as viewers we are joined at the hip with them. It's been a year since Richard's wife died in the crash, and he's still coming to terms with her death, and even more so, the affair she confessed. Sheila is wondering where she fits in the world, and her advice to Owen proves the level of overprotectiveness she has for emotion. Owen likes Lucy, but doesn't see the point in starting a relationship that will end when she heads off to school, and Lucy is confused by his reaction to her strong attraction to him.
Ms. Ireland and Mr. Gaffigan are both excellent here, and having recently seen the latter in THEM THAT FOLLOW, I'm not the least bit surprised that he can pull off such a dramatic turn. The film reaches a different level in their scenes together - especially a hike to the crash site located within the Great Smoky Mountains. Not much is said, and there is little action, but the scene solidifies all the emotions hinted at in the preceding scenes.
A film that might be characterized by some as slow and dull, may just strike a chord with enough folks to gain some momentum for an audience. David Lowery, the director of A GHOST STORY, 2017) is an executive producer, so he has a track record of success with stories that are understated and quiet. Are there ghosts among us - possibly even the living? Richard and Sheila come pretty close. Additionally, special recognition goes out for a practical effect that is the film's crescendo ... and it involves Tolstoy! So rather than view this as a bit of a downer, as the title suggests, we should let there be light.
S...... L....... O........ W...... Then it ends...
rrrayman29 January 2022
Major Snoozefest
edwardhutchinson-0121429 May 2022
low key to a fault
SnoopyStyle23 October 2020
Shelia (Marin Ireland) thinks that she has supernatural clairvoyant powers. She's a single mom. Her son Owen's classmate Lucy has a crush him. Shelia gets a request from Richard (Jim Gaffigan) who thinks his farmhouse is haunted by his late wife.
It's a slow, quiet paranormal movie and at some point, I stop trying to care. It has a good moodiness and Ireland is a great lesser-known actress. This only has one great scene with Owen & Lucy and that scene could have been filmed better. It is deliberately low-key that it refuses to heighten the intensity with its most intense scene.
It's a slow, quiet paranormal movie and at some point, I stop trying to care. It has a good moodiness and Ireland is a great lesser-known actress. This only has one great scene with Owen & Lucy and that scene could have been filmed better. It is deliberately low-key that it refuses to heighten the intensity with its most intense scene.
Not for everybody, but definitely for me
bloopville10 October 2022
This movie is about coming to grips with the inexplicable. It is an epistemological treatise wrapped in the shell of a drama about grief, loss and uncertainty, with a touch of the supernatural.
The performances are perfect. The main characters have small lives in a small town. They react to events in ways that are relatable and universal. There are no reused cliches from other movies and the film retains its internal logic throughout.
The theme of grief is secondary to something we can all relate to. When someone close to us passes, there are so many questions and conversations we wish we would have had and, as human beings, we have to come to terms with the possibility that there may be no possibility of receiving answers.
The supernatural nature of the film is just a metaphor for possibility. Whether or not you accept the possibility is up to you.
The film also is about how we package events to form patterns. We do this by formulating a hypothesis and then fitting the data to our hypothesis. The final segment stakes a claim on the validity of the characters hypotheses, but intelligent viewers are free to create their own endings.
The performances are perfect. The main characters have small lives in a small town. They react to events in ways that are relatable and universal. There are no reused cliches from other movies and the film retains its internal logic throughout.
The theme of grief is secondary to something we can all relate to. When someone close to us passes, there are so many questions and conversations we wish we would have had and, as human beings, we have to come to terms with the possibility that there may be no possibility of receiving answers.
The supernatural nature of the film is just a metaphor for possibility. Whether or not you accept the possibility is up to you.
The film also is about how we package events to form patterns. We do this by formulating a hypothesis and then fitting the data to our hypothesis. The final segment stakes a claim on the validity of the characters hypotheses, but intelligent viewers are free to create their own endings.
Indie on a treadmill
mattmusko3 November 2020
This indie is well made from a cinematography perspective and the actors did a good job but this film ultimately went nowhere. I really wanted to like it more than I did but all but the last 15 minutes or so left me pretty bored. There's plenty to like about this movie but it just feels lacking by the time the credits roll.
Artfully Pondering the Mystery of Life
sara_shaw11 April 2020
Imagine a meditative film about "ghost hunting", coming from a place of introspection and honesty- this is "Light from Light". There's nary a false note or sensationalized anything here. Really gentle and moving and filled with human performances- Marin Ireland and Jim Gaffigan are fantastic as lived-in characters given dialogue that feels real, like conversations you might have in their situation. Both naturalistic and transcendental is hard to pull off; it's easy to be over-the-top. Much harder to convey something that's both magical and earthy, or the creation of a film that feels like the closest approximation to life possible. That's what "Light from Light" is, and it's rare and lovely.
So, if you're a fan of thoughtful, soulful indie films, then you've come to the right place. Reminiscent of the film "Columbus" by Kogonanda. If you know of that film or have seen it, then this feels like a kindred spirit. Highly recommended.
So, if you're a fan of thoughtful, soulful indie films, then you've come to the right place. Reminiscent of the film "Columbus" by Kogonanda. If you know of that film or have seen it, then this feels like a kindred spirit. Highly recommended.
Boring
androidarmy7 February 2021
When the most exciting part of the film in when a supporting character gets stung by a wasp, you know you've got a loser. Bottom line: this film was excruciatingly boring! It could've been done in 30 minutes. Many dragged out scenes with moody music that were completely unnecessary.
I wanted to give more stars but...
incubus-091424 February 2022
Sorry I got bored close to the end. I usually don't mind slow burners, not only that I sometimes enjoy them. This film is so nuanced and subtle which I actually appreciate and understand its beauty. The dialogue takes rather minimalistic approach here, it feels like insinuating connotations, anecdotes and tropes all the time. This film doesn't come across pretentious or artsy in a way that other movies of this kind sometimes do. It is moving in the end and the lighting in the scene is just beautiful.
However, I couldn't help feeling bored. I found this film in horror section on Prime. That's the reason I decided to watch. The heroine maybe a paranormal investigator, but this ISN'T a horror movie. It is a drama.
If you are the person who enjoys films like The Son's Room (2001) or I'm thinking of ending things (2020), you may find this interesting. Though I'm thinking of ending things has a dark atmosphere and a confounding storyline, this movie doesn't feel dark or disturbing thanks to the score. I still think this isn't for everyone nonetheless.
However, I couldn't help feeling bored. I found this film in horror section on Prime. That's the reason I decided to watch. The heroine maybe a paranormal investigator, but this ISN'T a horror movie. It is a drama.
If you are the person who enjoys films like The Son's Room (2001) or I'm thinking of ending things (2020), you may find this interesting. Though I'm thinking of ending things has a dark atmosphere and a confounding storyline, this movie doesn't feel dark or disturbing thanks to the score. I still think this isn't for everyone nonetheless.
Haunting. A Movie that actually deserves to be watched.
julesfdelorme14 June 2022
"Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes."
Light from Light is not a new movie. Though it is dealing with the paranormal one would not describe this film as spooky or a suspenseful. What Light from Light does is far more remarkable. It is a beautifully sad and haunting little movie that never makes a false step or allows itself to be false. Writer/Director Paul Harrill never gives in to the impulse to be gaudy or to scare us as so many of those moving furniture movies try to do. What he does is to tell a story of mourning and sadness tinging it with a little bit of hope. Marin Ireland, one of the most underrated and underused female actors out there, is, as always, wonderful as an ordinary understated woman who happens to have had hints of paranormal experience and is "in between" paranormal investigation groups, working at a car rental company. She's contacted by a priest after doing a local radio interview, who asks her to visit a widower who may be having paranormal experiences. Jim Gaffigan plays the widower. One would not immediately think of casting a comedian like Gaffigan in a role where there is no comedy, tremendous sadness and an undertow of rage, but he is perfect. There is something about his size and awkwardness that makes him so right for the role and it turns out that he can act. He is not just good. I'll say it again. He's perfect. Light from Light might not be for everyone. It's a very quiet movie. Maybe a bit of a sad movie. If you like explosions, super heroes, car crashes, moving furniture, slasher movies perhaps this is not the movie for you. But Light from Light is definitely haunting. In the truest meaning of the word. It deserves to be watched. And what better thing can you say about a film?
Surprisingly well acted
gary-schiltz7 May 2022
We'll cast. Great story line
markandamini31 August 2023
This movie hit ideas and concepts about relationships and life after death in a truly unique way. The characters were real and touched you without being melodramatic. The acting was fantastic and the casting was also. Ultimately it left me feeling happy whiteout being schmoozy and I felt like I knew the characters. It is NOT a ghost movie and NOT a thriller but a compassionate look at real life and real relationships alongside believable and realistic possible experiences. If you are looking for great acting and good cinematography without being overly dramatic or silly then give it a go. I liked it. Eat movie I've seen if months.
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