LIGHTS OUT
US, 2016, 81 minutes, Colour.
Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander Di Persia, Billy Burke, Maria Bello.
Directed by David.Sandberg.
With a title like Lights Out, it is to guess that this might be a horror film. While it is a ghost story and has touches of horror, it is more of a terror film. terror films make the audience scared, respond with continued tension, and share the experiences of the central characters. All this happens in about 80 minutes – and the film was so successful at the American box office, that a sequel is already in preparation. They will have to invent a few more characters since not everyone survives this film.
There is an atmospheric prologue with the father of the family working in his warehouse and his assistant insists that she has seen a strange presence. Once the father believes her, there is a confrontation between the presence, ghostly black, with the characteristic that when the lights go on, she cannot be seen. She is seen only when the lights are out.
The father has had a conversation with his young son, concerned about his mother’s health and her taking her medication. She is in a bad state and as the film goes on more is revealed about her past.She is played by Maria Bello.
Then we are introduced to a couple, Rebecca and Bret, in a relationship but with Rebecca in control. When she gets a visit from the school counsellor to tell her that her younger brother is falling asleep in class and that there is concern about the mother, she is challenged as to whether she would take on responsibility and become the boy’s guardian.
Before you can say ghost, it emerges that Rebecca has walked out on her disturbed mother, upset at the disappearance of her father, and then discovering that her mother had spent time in institution – which comes to mind when she discovers a drawing from her childhood with her parents and this strange black presence, Diana.
One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise what is going to happen, Rebecca looking after her younger brother, the malevolent presence of Diana, trying to do something to help her mother, Diana getting the better of sister and brother, Bret having to step in to help – and the police who come, rather sceptical and superior, find Diana, to their disadvantage.
One of the things about this kind of film is that the characters are ordinary enough in themselves, that audiences can identify with them, imagine the situations they find them in even if in fact they don’t really believe. But, while it is all up there on the screen, it has a certain credibility – enhanced by many opportunities, with the jump-cutting editing, for the audience to leap out of their seats at several times and/or emit a scream.
All in all, this is a brief small-budget film, with a good cast led by a strong Teresa Palmer as Rebecca and Gabriel Bateman as her brother Martin. It doesn’t set out to be the greatest but it does achieve what it set out to do – tension, fear, jumps and screams.
1. The title? The dark? Fear in the dark? Scares?
2. The blend of terror film with horror films? An occasion for audiences to jump and .scream?
3. Ghost story, the ghost using a human medium? Vengeful and destructive ghost? Dependence on the live human?
4. The prologue, the father working in the store, inventory, talking with his son, concern about the mother, the assistant and the apparition? His fears, confrontation? His death?
5. Sophie, as mother, her madness, her medication, two husbands? Rebecca as her daughter, Martin as her son, her living a secluded life?
6. Rebecca and Bret, the relationship, playful, her character, strong, Bret and his strong friendship?
7. Martin, his age, falling asleep at school, the difficulties of home life? With the counsellor, concern about Sophie? Asking Rebecca to be guardian and take responsibility?
8. Rebecca, her past, her father’s disappearance? Leaving her mother? With Bret? The decision about Martin, care, in the house, sleeping, protecting Martin?
9. The mother, Rebecca finding the documents, her mother in an institution, the character of Diana – and the memories of the sketch? The photo, Diana’s skin disease, dark, her death? Sophie and her passing Rebecca the note for help?
10. Diana, appearance, dark, not being seen in the light? Issues of lights, candles, torches, the laser beam? The inscriptions on the wall? The experiences in the basement?
11. Rebecca and Martin locked in, Bret and going, calling the police?
12. The police, their superior manner, being destroyed?
13. Sophie, emerging, Rebecca trying to help, the telling Diana to stop – and her loosening Diana’s presence by killing herself?
14. A future, for Rebecca, Martin and Bret?
