The Darkness(2016)
2016 · Greg McLean · 92 min
A family returns from a Grand Canyon vacation with a supernatural presence in tow.
Horror · Thriller
4.8655 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How The Darkness scares
The story opens as a quiet family drama, easing you into the household's cracks and tensions before the haunting stuff kicks in. Once it does, the scares come in mild, predictable bursts rather than a steady build of dread, with the supernatural elements feeling more like plot furniture than real menace. It stays fairly tame throughout, with little blood and only mild jolts, so it plays more like a network TV chiller than something that gets under your skin. Good for a low-stakes night when you want a ghost story without much bite.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Darkness rates psychological 2/5, visceral 2/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 55 of 100 — balanced
Supernatural vs Real-world: 10 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 35 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow-building family drama that gradually layers on unease before tightening into a tenser, more unsettling final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4.
How scary is The Darkness?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Darkness rates 2/5 — moderately scary, balancing creeping dread with well-placed shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be restrained with gore and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
Watched it? Sign in to confirm whether this profile fits.
