Movie Review: ‘The Dark and the Wicked’ (2020) Is A Haunting, Nightmare-Fueled Experience

The upcoming horror feature, The Dark and the Wicked was a wild and nightmare fueled ride. This film was written and directed by Bryan Bertino. The cast includes Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, and Xander Berkeley.

Synopsis for The Dark and the Wicked

On a secluded farm, a man is slowly dying. Bedridden and fighting through his final breaths, his wife is slowly succumbing to overwhelming grief. To help their mother and say goodbye to their father, siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) return to their family farm. It doesn’t take long for them to see that something’s wrong with mom, though—something more than her heavy sorrow. Gradually, as their own grief mounts, Louise and Michael begin suffering from a darkness similar to their mother’s, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over their family.

As soon as I started watching this film, I could feel the doom and gloom and uncomfortably, anxiety-ridden atmosphere. My anxiety rose and I prepared for what was to come. The Dark and the Wicked was a hauntingly beautiful story that has shaken me to my core. This film delivered on everything including the rich and intense cinematography, incredible performances, and a story that’s pure nightmare fuel.

All of the performances were raw, strong, and emotionally powerful. Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Julie Oliver-Touchstone, and Xander Berkeley all equally worked together to create a haunting, spellbinding, and nightmarish experience that’s riveting and award worthy.

There’s several scenes throughout the film that are gut-wrenching and horrifying, however, two in particular really got to me. So much so, that the imagery was permanently imprinted into my brain and I can’t stop thinking about it. This was due to powerful cinematography and quality special effects.

Final Thoughts

The Dark and the Wicked will be available in On Demand, Digital, and Theaters starting November 6, 2020 from Shudder and RLJE Films. If you’re trying to hold on tight to those October spooky vibes, this one is for you!

About Tori Danielle

Tori has had a passion for Horror and music ever since she was a little girl. She got bit by the writing bug in high school where she was involved in both the school newspaper and the yearbook. While getting her Bachelors degree, she took Journalism and Creative Writing classes where her passion grew even stronger. Now, in between work and family, she spends all of her spare time indulging in music, Horror movies, and nerdy fandoms, all while running/assisting one of the biggest Horror groups on Facebook and writing for various websites.

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