#DIANA LIGHTS OUT MOVIE MOVIE#

A young boy named Martin (Gabriel Bateman) is left alone with his mentally unstable mother Sophie after his father dies in a mysterious freak accident at work (which makes for a really intense opening sequence). Gabriel Bateman and Teresa Palmer in a scene from ‘Lights Out.’ Photo courtesy of LA Film FestivalĪt the center of the scares is a family in crisis. It’s creepy and makes for some exceptionally eerie visuals (the freaky silhouette appearing and disappearing with the flick of a switch will undoubtedly stick with you before bed) but how can that work for an entire narrative?Īs Sandberg showcases, the answer is with great acting, characters we care about, and real human drama that raises the stakes when the inevitable horror fill the screen.

Sandberg takes on the challenge of stretching his original three-minute short - which was praised for being on a level of terror and suspense that most contemporary horror movies fail to reach - into something that sustains its 80-minute runtime and doesn’t grow stale quickly, which is tough when the concept is as simple as this.

#DIANA LIGHTS OUT MOVIE MOVIE#

“Lights Out” may appear to just be another entry in the often cheap and soulless things-that-go-bump-in-the-night subgenre that reigns supreme in modern horror, but don’t let its seemingly conventional premise, of an evil entity that shows up to haunt when the room is dark, fool you: This movie is scary, clever and - surprisingly - elevating by addressing mental illness and the effect it could have on a family.įirst-time director David F.

Diana lights out movie