Out of Darkness

by Mike McGranaghan

Out of Darkness is not a conventional horror film. For starters, it takes place 45,000 years ago. On top of that, the characters speak in a prehistoric language created specifically for the movie, which is presented with subtitles. Those qualities may discourage horror buffs who like their scares within a specific framework. Anyone with an adventurous side will find that the long-ago setting and made-up language add to a story that deals with very primal fears related to survival in foreign, hostile environments.

The plot revolves around a tribe of six people who have crossed a small sea in search of a new home. A visible mountain offers the promise of caves for them to dwell in, so they begin making a trek in that direction. Strange noises and the unexpected discovery of animal bones lead the group to conclude that they have entered the territory of a very dangerous creature, the likes of which they have never encountered before. The individual members cannot agree on a course of action. A young female, Beyah (Safia Oakley-Green), has her own ideas on how to best proceed.

Setting the story in the very distant past gives Out of Darkness an atmosphere all its own. The movie has the requisite mangling and mauling of victims. We’re used to seeing contemporary people being slain, though, and often in familiar settings like houses, summer camps, and small-town streets. Beyah and her tribe aren’t outrunning a psychotic killer or an evil spirit; they’re being stalked by something that resents their intrusion on its territory. That’s in addition to the struggle to find a habitable place to live, thereby doubling the danger. Suspense comes from the way the group tries to placate the beast, then identify a means of killing it, despite not even knowing exactly what it is.

Director Andrew Cumming and cinematographer Ben Fordesman provide the movie with a gloomy, foreboding ambiance that sets you on edge from the start. The environment itself looks hostile, making the inclusion of an unseen predator within that environment feel even more harrowing. This, in turn, gives more weight to the characters’ uncertainty over what to do. None of the options seem particularly good. Leader Adem (Chuku Modu) attempts to call the shots, although his judgment appears a little wonky at times, especially to Beyah.

At the most fundamental level, that’s the center of Out of Darkness. Tribe members divide during a time when unity is the single thing that might save them. The movie doesn’t have a complex plot, but it absolutely wrings consistent chills from the concept. It’s a fresh, offbeat fright flick that offers something different from the norm.

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