First time director Emanuela Rossi, working from a script she co-wrote with Claudio Corbucci, crafts a bleak but beautiful coming-of-age drama that’s part post-apocalyptic horror, part mystery thriller, part psychological drama, and part feminist fable.
Darkness (2019), with the original Italian language title Buio, centers on Stella, 17-year-old, and her younger sisters, Luce and Aria, who are locked inside their house with bars on the windows. Outside is the Apocalypse: two thirds of humanity have expired since a solar explosion that left sunlight too strong; only men can go outside, women can’t tolerate it. The girls entertain themselves by dressing up, playing games and doing what they can to remain sane, acting out memories from when they were younger, when their mother was still with them. Their angry father discourages such behavior, telling them that clinging to a long gone past is a waste of time. Things break down for good, however, when Luce starts asking about the outside.
The cast is formed by Denise Tantucci, Valerio Binasco, Gaia Bocci, Olimpia Tosatto, Elettra Mallaby, and Francesco Genovese.
Following its world premiere at Tallinn Black Nights IFF in 2019 where it was nominated for Best First Feature, the film was met with critical acclaim. Emily Von Seele of Daily Dead penned, “Darkness (2019) is an incredible examination of a cycle of abuse, wrapped in a beautiful and compelling story. It’s hard to tear yourself away from these characters, and the places their journey takes them will not soon be forgotten” and Tom Moore of In Their Own League called it “a chilling display of domestic abuse spurred by monstrous paranoia in a post-apocalyptic setting”.
After being part of the line-up in MOTELX – Lisbon International Horror Film Festival, Cheltenham International Film Festival, and winning the SIAE Silver Ribbon for Best Screenplay at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, Darkness (2019) is opening internationally on digital platforms on July 28, 2023.
Watch its official trailer.
Related posts:
A man is trapped in his apartment by supernatural forces in “In the Trap” 
“Fangs Out”: Low-cost plastic surgery comes out with terrifying unexpected consequences 
“Clock”: A clinical trial to restore her biological clock turns into a nightmare 
“Skinford: Death Sentence”: His criminal plan to make fast money goes awry when he meets a mysterious woman