‘The Dark and the Wicked’ Offers Sly, Slow-Burn Chills

Dark and foreboding.

That sounds clichéd, but it perfectly describes “The Dark and the Wicked.”

This horror gem by director Bryan Bertino (“The Strangers” and “The Strangers: Prey at Night”) debuted at the Fantasia International Film Festival in August 2020. A few months later, it was put into distribution by RLJE Films.

The film is currently a Shudder Exclusive.

Early on, viewers will meet siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbot, Jr.). They have returned to their family farm in Texas, where Father (Michael Zagst) appears to be in his end stages of life. Mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) becomes increasingly upset that her adult children have arrived.

That reaction confuses them given their father’s failing health. Mother repeatedly tells them they should not have come back to the farm. At first, one would think she is shielding them from impending death.

It soon becomes obvious that something sinister has arrived.

Later, the siblings speak with the day nurse (Lynn Andrews). She tells them that there is something wrong at the farm. She has witnessed their mother whispering to their father as if she was speaking to someone else in the room.

What she describes is akin to an otherworldly presence or evil cloud over the patriarch. The nurse is genuinely fearful, and Andrews’ performance is memorable and convincing.

There is a diabolical spirit that hangs over the farm. That feeling of impending doom increases with every scene. Pay particular attention to Berkeley’s portrayal of Father Thorne. Berkeley’s scenes are chilling and create a genuine feeling of dread.

#NowWatching Bryan Bertino’s THE DARK AND THE WICKED pic.twitter.com/gCvnqY3L1N

— Anthony King (@akdonelly) March 14, 2021

Bertino creates a terrifying atmosphere that is highly effective and jump scares are not off-limits here. What initially appears to be a slow burn thriller escalates into a rollercoaster of heavy scenes. No one is safe from the terrors inhabiting the farm.

The family home’s remote location intensifies the feeling of dread.

Tired of lackluster, modern scary movies? If so, this horror film will strike a nerve in the most hardened horror lovers. Turn off all the lights before pressing play on “The Dark and the Wicked.”

Kristi Sellers is a paralegal who assists Veterans daily. In her spare time, she is a freelance writer who loves horror films and Kurt Russell. She lives in Alabama with her husband Kyle, and fur baby, Chico. Please visit her writing portfolio.