thelastblogontheleft This film was just too pretentious for me to really get into in any meaningful way. I felt like it was trying way too hard to be some kind of quirky, black and white art-house movie and wound up putting more effort into this contrived style rather than making a movie with any substance. Director Mickey Keating — who also directed Pod, which I reviewed recently, which has literally all the same main characters minus Sean Young, as well as the same music composer AND same cinematographer — definitely knew what kind of mood he was aiming for, but he forgot to put any deep thought into things like dialogue or getting a strong performance out of his characters. I'm not entirely surprised, since Pod had the same issues for me — a good shell of a movie but no substantial filling."Darling" (she is given no other name), played by Lauren Ashley Carter, is a mysterious young girl who is tasked with watching an old, beautiful apartment in the heart of New York City while its wealthy residents are away. She is warned that a previous caretaker threw herself off the balcony, and there is talk of the apartment itself being haunted. Throughout the short time that she is house sitting we watch her descent into madness before her tragic end.** SPOILERS! **I guess my biggest issue with this movie is, as I mentioned, the fact that Keating's focus on style and mood seemed to trump his effort to build a meaningful character with Darling. He had this great opportunity to delve into the topics of gentrification, urban isolation, the trauma of possible sexual assault, and mental illness, to name a few, but he seemed to prefer to simply have a pretty girl stare blankly into the camera. We really never get to know much about her aside from studying every facet of her face since she probably stares into the camera for half the damn movie runtime. I had high hopes when the movie opened up with some impressively stark shots of the city — it's a rare treat when a movie seamlessly blends genuine terror and character development with an abundance of aesthetic beauty — but alas, all I got were some cool upside down shots of skyscrapers and enough shock cuts to make me never want to see another one again in my entire life.All of the mentions of a paranormal side of things — the apartment being haunted, the previous caretaker committing suicide, the mention by her date that a conjuring of the devil was once attempted in the building — are all sadly glossed over, despite the fact that they could have been interesting additions to the plot if they were explored a bit more. It does what many other greats before it have done — blurring the line and making us wonder what is truly paranormal and what is a product of spiraling into madness — but it just doesn't do it nearly as well.The murder of her date was unexpected, and somewhat shocking to witness — him gasping awake unexpectedly and the subsequent suffocation with the plastic bag were particularly hard to watch. But ultimately, like most aspects of the movie — I mean, come on, it's broken into chapters for some inexplicable reason — I felt like it was trying a bit too hard.Then the ending just gets plain cheesy, with her talking to Madame on the phone, hinting again at her past trauma, and saying "I think I'll become one of your ghost stories now" *eye roll*.Overall, YAWN. Pretty to look at? Sure. But I would have preferred it spend more time making me think — or, hell, scaring me — than repeatedly juxtaposing her blank expression with a strobed shot of her screaming face.

danielemerytaylor I can say without fear of contradiction that DARLING will not be for everyone. It is an art-house horror film (presented in black and white, no less!) with a very slow build-up and an ambiguous story. I, however, quite liked it. I thought the pacing was appropriately anxiety-inducing, it is shot BEAUTIFULLY, and Lauren Ashley Carter is phenomenal (every bit deserving of her cult favorite status). My one criticism is the score - if it isn't stock music, it is certainly clichéd. It is not distracting enough to detract from the rest of the picture, however. If you have an open mind and are willing to take in something a little different from what you're used to, check it out.

zettaichan Darling is a throwback to the mood and methods of early '60s horror. Shot in black and white, there are clear nods to classics like Psycho and Repulsion.Like The House of the Devil, it uses its of-the-era styling to set viewers' expectations, then toys with them. Long, slow takes punctuated by sudden jerky inserts of disturbing shots, shrieking string music, a ringing phone used to create urgency and tension... all the era- appropriate touches show up, along with more modern horror staples like flickering lights and a hacksaw.One of the style elements that I see other reviews criticizing is the over-the-top soundtrack; early on, when the main character is simply walking along the city sidewalk, the music is high-key and frantic. The music is so shrill and suspenseful during these mundane scenes that it's almost laughable, but that in itself is disarming by design. It made me think the entire film was going to do nothing but ape '60s styling, which made it more shocking as the plot developed into something more explicitly brutal than I expected.Lead actress Laura Ashley Carter is mesmerizing, and easily drew me past the early slow scenes and the hectic soundtrack. From the beginning it's clear the main character has issues, and it doesn't take long before clues add up that her perception of reality may be distorted. The actress and director do a great job of playing on her petite size, enormous eyes and air of fragility, and she's expressive even when she simply gazes steadily into the camera.The final scene, arriving midway through the credits, is what elevates the movie for me and makes it really memorable. With just a few lines, Sean Young implies a completely different reading of the entire film. For me, the punch of those last moments took this from an enjoyable style exercise and acting showcase to a creepy delight.

Ruby Chang Wow! I really admire how they put together this film. The complementary interaction between the sound effects - those harsh, dissonant sounds - and the fuzzy, almost dulled cinematography (interspersed, of course, with those terrifyingly epileptic flashes) really makes for the perfect horror atmosphere. The editing is brilliant. I have a bit of an issue with the pacing of the film overall. The first thirty minutes were kind of dull, despite the jumpscares, and I almost decided to skip over it entirely. The acting, however, is fantastic. I didn't recognize Lauren from Jug Face and Pod, so when I saw other people pointing it out, I found that made sense. Her skill is very obvious in these movies (even in Pod, which was not great to be honest). Looking forward to any other projects she'll be in. The plot is ambiguous, as some people have mentioned, but I think it worked for this film. Darling herself is so mixed up in her mind that nothing comes across as the truth to the audience. Not being able to figure out any concrete answers is a part of how uneasy this film can make you, in my opinion. (And adding to that mysterious eeriness is the scene in the middle of the credits! Really left me wanting more.) Ultimately, I found this to be a very well made film, a clear labor of love in the name of horror, dependent on the actors' performances and the conceptualization. Something like this is very divisive: you either love it, or you hate it. And I really loved it.