The Darkness
The Darkness Review: Story, Cast, Rating & Final Verdict
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Movie Overview: The Darkness
| Movie | The Darkness |
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Director | Greg McLean |
| Genre | Horror / Thriller |
| Runtime | 92 minutes |
| Language | EN |
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Darkness (2016) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 4.8/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Horror.
Cast & Character Study
The performances in The Darkness are led by Kevin Bacon . The supporting cast, including Radha Mitchell and David Mazouz , provides the necessary layers to the central narrative.
movieMx Verdict: Is it Worth Your Time?
What Works in the Movie
While The Darkness does not fully realize its potential, it still contains moments that may appeal to viewers who enjoy Horror films.
- Interesting concept or premise
- Some entertaining scenes
- Supporting cast delivers occasional highlights
What Doesn't Work
Despite its strengths, The Darkness has a few issues that may affect the overall viewing experience, particularly in terms of pacing and narrative consistency.
- Uneven pacing in certain parts of the film
- Some predictable plot developments
- May not appeal to audiences outside the Horror fanbase
Story & Plot Summary: The Darkness
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2016, The Darkness is a Horror, Thriller film directed by Greg McLean. The narrative crafts an atmosphere of dread and suspense, using psychological terror and visual scares. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Kevin Bacon.
Story Breakdown
The horror unfolds through carefully crafted atmosphere and escalating dread. A family returns from a Grand Canyon vacation with a supernatural presence in tow. Director Greg McLean uses both psychological terror and visceral scares, building tension through what's unseen as much as what's shown. The pacing allows for breathing room between scares, making each frightening moment more effective.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: An unsettling prologue sets the ominous tone, hinting at the terror to come while establishing the rules of this world.
- Character Arc: Character development is present but somewhat formulaic, following familiar patterns without adding fresh perspectives to the genre.
- Climax & Resolution: The final act escalates the terror to its peak, forcing characters to confront the source of horror directly.
Ending Explained: The Darkness
The Darkness Ending Explained: Directed by Greg McLean, The Darkness attempts to bring together the film’s narrative threads. The ending highlights the core horror themes developed throughout the film.
The final twist encourages viewers to reconsider earlier moments in the story, particularly in scenes involving Kevin Bacon. The interpretation of the ending may vary among viewers.
Key Elements of the Ending
- Narrative Resolution: The story resolves its primary conflict while leaving room for interpretation.
- Character Development: Character motivations become clearer by the final scenes.
- Thematic Message: The ending reinforces the horror themes introduced earlier in the film.
The final moments of The Darkness reflect the creative choices of the filmmakers and align with the tone of the narrative.
Who Should Watch The Darkness?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Horror films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Box Office Collection: The Darkness
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $4.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $10.9M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
The Darkness Budget
The estimated production budget for The Darkness is $4.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Darkness
All Cast & Crew →
Where to Watch The Darkness Online?
Streaming Hub🎟️ Rent on
Amazon VideoThe Darkness Parents Guide & Age Rating
2016 AdvisoryWondering about The Darkness age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Darkness is 92 minutes (1h 32m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 4.8/10, and global performance metrics, The Darkness is classified as a AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2016 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Darkness worth watching?
The Darkness is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Horror movies. It has a verified rating of 4.8/10 and stands as a AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Darkness parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Darkness identifies it as PG-13. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Darkness?
The total duration of The Darkness is 92 minutes, which is approximately 1h 32m long.
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How The Darkness Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for The Darkness
**When the ancient spirits set loose.** Usually horror films are the most clichéd genre, especially when it comes to those scaring parts, all the films use the same sudden sound effects and disfigured human images with the strong makeup or the graphics. This film is nothing less than any of those, but a bit too much in the first three quarters. Like they are keeping some suspense, but it was just dragging to extend the film length and what comes in the final quarter is actually the story with a twist. So when that revelation happens, you would probably lose complete interest on this. Because that's not the demons you're expecting after all the hype was created in the earlier segment. The story was just okay, but it was well known to us in different forms from the different films. In this, it is set in a different location with different cast, so that makes the film is fresh, but it wasn't. Some ancient spirits were set loose when a family was picnicking and it follows them to their house. Now they suffer from some unexplainable events and they decide to get rid bringing the people who can. That leads to the final act where the story comes to end. They say it was inspired by the real event involving a family. So that might interest some viewers to check it out. But if you're an atheist, this is just a joke. From the director of 'Wolf Creek' with the decent performances by Kevin Bacon and Radha Mictchell, the film did not become best among its theme. Just a watchable film, after that you won't going to remember it a week or a month later. Very few might like it, but it's impossible to say who they're, so I'm not going to suggest or reject it. _4/10_
I think I was over-prepared to hate this based on the reviews, because though I will come right up and say that _The Darkness_ truly isn't very good, I actually had a fine time watching it. I won't go back to it, but I didn't have a particularly negative time here. I do wonder if may Greg McLean should stick to Australian stuff though, when you compare the quality of this and _Jungle_ to both _Wolf Creek_ movies and _Rogue_. _Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
