Contextual Research | Short Film Review: Darkness Calls
Darkness Calls Online Short Review [CLICK HERE TO VIEW]
Darkness Calls is a uniquely styled horror short film that was released on YouTube on Halloween 2015. The film was produced by an independent team of 2 people known as 'Distant Signal' and was published on behalf of them by a popular YouTube horror story narrator: 'Lazy Masquerade'. The way in which Darkness Calls says so much while showing so little has captivated me in a number of ways, let's get into the review:
Narrative
'Darkness Calls' presents one of the most unique styles of presentation I've seen, by opting to go with an almost entirely narrator-driven storyline, leaving the visualisation of events 80% up to the viewer to decide for themselves. The narrator explains the events of a what appears to be a break in to this household, as the camera calmly drifts through the environment, highlighting various interesting items of interest; for example, crayons left out on the side and drawings half completed, an empty dog bowl and a knife falling on to a bed with not even a glimpse of human interaction within the scene. The great thing about this narrative is that the audience is left to make of it what they wish, thus allowing for a varied interpretation of events.
Character Design
In this section I normally detail each character in their likes, dislikes and personality traits, however in this instance we're not presented with any characters visually. We only have the narrator, a somewhat charismatic, young sounding guy who has recently moved to Los Angeles with his girlfriend and is struggling with a drink problem, made evident by the shot of the empty beer bottles as the camera passes by the dining room table. We're also made aware they have a dog through his exposition and the shot of the dog bowl on the floor.
It's interesting how much information we can gain out of this character without ever seeing him on screen, furthermore despite narrating the scene, he is also very much involved with it, explaining his actions at certain pivotal moments.
Editing
The editing within 'Darkness Calls' are absolutely integral to the flow of the short. One of the establishing shots panning around the intricacies of the house lasts for nearly 1 minute straight, but gradually pulls the viewer through the story along with the non-diegetic narration that was placed on top of it. The narration matches the content of the scene at the perfect times however, with him referencing their playful dog as the camera pans past the dog bowl, and his dicey ordeal with alcoholism as we glimpse the empty bottles on the side of the counter.
Sound and editing are intrinsic within 'Darkness Calls' as they work to induce suspense and build adrenaline within the audience, for example when the dog goes to lunge for one of the attackers just over half way through the short, the camera speeds up and the cuts become much more rapid to signify the fast paced nature of the events that took place in the location, all without showing us anything.
Cinematography
The stylistic choices Distant Signal have made on this project really capture (to me at-least) the quintessential aspects which make for an idealistic psychological horror. There is something about atmosphere, tension and suspense building that cannot be beaten by cheap and lazy jump-scares. The mise en scené is crucial in subverting the viewers basic connotations of a family home - it aids in creating an unpleasant feeling amongst the audience. A family's home is typically synonymous with safety and comfort, for that to be broken so harshly, to be disrupted in the way that it appears, with everything left around seems to suggest that it may not actually be as safe and secure as one may initially think.
By sticking with this theme throughout 'Darkness Calls' emphasises the oxymoronic nature of 'Home' and 'Danger/Fear', yet simultaneously refusing to show you what you're terrified of. The entire 10 minute short builds tension towards what typical genre conventions tell us will be a jump-scare of some kind, but nothing actually happens... and that's totally ok.
Sound
In any horror film the sound is absolutely essential, when working on my own horror short film for A-Level this became incredibly evident to me. So the way the low bass-tones hum in the background of the visceral sounding narration, it keeps the suspense up, and makes the areas where the music cuts far more impactful. Also there is an excellent use of sound effects throughout, with dog barking and growling sounds that fade in at the appropriate times, grounding the narration further into the environment. The boiling of a pot, the chopping of vegetables and the sharp sound of a serrated knife brushing up against another. All of this helps immerse the viewer into the story being told, and turns a simple reading into a meaningful experience.
Conclusion
I find 'Darkness Calls' to be one of the most interesting and genuinely enjoyable short films I've ever watched. Rather than focussing on forming a complex narrative with intersecting plot points and character development, it tells a recap of events, almost like an interrogation, but it's from a single perspective and doesn't show any of the events actually occurring, leaving it incredibly open ended unlike other cathartic horror films of a similar sub-genre. Brilliant.
Narrative
'Darkness Calls' presents one of the most unique styles of presentation I've seen, by opting to go with an almost entirely narrator-driven storyline, leaving the visualisation of events 80% up to the viewer to decide for themselves. The narrator explains the events of a what appears to be a break in to this household, as the camera calmly drifts through the environment, highlighting various interesting items of interest; for example, crayons left out on the side and drawings half completed, an empty dog bowl and a knife falling on to a bed with not even a glimpse of human interaction within the scene. The great thing about this narrative is that the audience is left to make of it what they wish, thus allowing for a varied interpretation of events.
Character Design
It's interesting how much information we can gain out of this character without ever seeing him on screen, furthermore despite narrating the scene, he is also very much involved with it, explaining his actions at certain pivotal moments.
Editing
Sound and editing are intrinsic within 'Darkness Calls' as they work to induce suspense and build adrenaline within the audience, for example when the dog goes to lunge for one of the attackers just over half way through the short, the camera speeds up and the cuts become much more rapid to signify the fast paced nature of the events that took place in the location, all without showing us anything.
Cinematography
By sticking with this theme throughout 'Darkness Calls' emphasises the oxymoronic nature of 'Home' and 'Danger/Fear', yet simultaneously refusing to show you what you're terrified of. The entire 10 minute short builds tension towards what typical genre conventions tell us will be a jump-scare of some kind, but nothing actually happens... and that's totally ok.
Sound
Conclusion
I find 'Darkness Calls' to be one of the most interesting and genuinely enjoyable short films I've ever watched. Rather than focussing on forming a complex narrative with intersecting plot points and character development, it tells a recap of events, almost like an interrogation, but it's from a single perspective and doesn't show any of the events actually occurring, leaving it incredibly open ended unlike other cathartic horror films of a similar sub-genre. Brilliant.
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