The Dark(2018)
2018 · Justin P. Lange · 95 min
A murderous, flesh-eating undead young girl haunting the remote stretch of woods where she was murdered decades earlier, discovers a kidnapped and abused boy hiding in the trunk of one of her victim’s cars. Her decision to let the boy live throws her aggressively solitary existence into upheaval, and ultimately forces her to re-examine just how much of her humanity her murderer was able to destroy.
Horror · Drama · Fantasy
6.1218 votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How The Dark scares
Watching this feels more like sinking into a sad, quiet fable than being scared in any traditional sense. The pace is slow and mournful, built around long stretches of silence and small human moments rather than jolts or chases. There's some flesh and violence shown, but it's used to underline pain and loss, not to shock you. It's better suited to viewers who want an eerie, melancholy character story than anyone looking for tension or scares.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Dark rates psychological 3/5, visceral 2/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 3 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 8 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 12 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 58 of 100 — leans Disturbing
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A moody, slow-drifting film that simmers with unease in short bursts rather than building to one big climax.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2.
How scary is The Dark?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Dark rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
Watched it? Sign in to confirm whether this profile fits.
