Lights Out, directed by David F Sandberg, is based on the 2013 short film by the same name. One of the most defining moments of the short film was where a character literally puts the lights out only to see a silhouette in the darkness.
In the big screen avatar, we are introduced to a family that is haunted by an unknown evil force. The mother, Sophie (Maria Bello) is haunted by something strange and evil. The father Paul (Billy Burke), dies in a horrific, mysterious accident at his workplace and their son Martin (Gabriel Bateman) is scared out of his wits because of things that go thud-thud in the darkness in his house.
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There’s a mysterious entity named Diana whose name crops up now and again too.
There’s a daughter too, Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) who doesn’t live with the family and isn’t happy with her status in the family tree. It is up to Rebecca now to look after Martin after the mom shows signs of going postal.
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Lights Out has an interesting concept and a good script. The characters are etched out just enough for a horror film. The story is refreshingly different from the old haunts-and-slash fests that are a staple in Hollywood.
Director Sandberg does a good job of his first major film outing and has created franchise-worthy characters with this horror drama. He understands that the soul of a horror film is the origin story. Adding a mix of sci-fi, medical negligence and psychological traits, an exciting character emerges in Lights Out.
The novel idea of the evil entity being seen only when the lights are out works well on the screen. The audience gets the jump thrills they are looking for.
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Performances are at par but there is no single performance that stands out. The young Gabriel Bateman hams through some of the scenes but that can be forgiven. The screenplay sometimes meanders and may create a fidgety audience that just wants to get on with the action.
In a nutshell, Lights Out is a good concept that comes out well on screen, but would have been a much better film with better actors and a good screenplay.
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