"Super Dark Times" 2017

 

Found this gem on my horror subscription channel- Shudder. Shudder is a wonderful platform for lovers of cheeseball B and C rated horrors; movies with twisted, demented and unapologetic storylines, OG classics and occasionally the deeply disturbing indie film. This one falls into the latter category. 

To call it a 'coming of age' story seems a bit wrong given the premise revolves around a murder involving teenagers, but that's truly what it is. Real, everyday adolescent boys who get wrapped up in a situation way above their heads. One poor split second decision that ultimately changes their lives forever. The cast was filled with a ton of first-time, no name young actors and man did they do a good job! The relationships felt superbly real and the dialogue was just as cringe worthy as you would imagine a group of teenage boys hitting puberty might be. Many of the scenes felt tangible, almost like they were plucked from a memory of your own high school days (well, all except when a murder takes place... I hope that's not in your high school memory bank). 

Watching the devastation of what has taken place unfold and affect each character differently was very engaging. The story was mainly told through the perspective of Zach (Owen Campbell) which I think was in part because his character seemed to have the most depth and maturity to offer the situation. This choice in perspective however, made it rather difficult to connect with the other characters on a deeper, emotional level. Charlie and Josh were the other major players but I don't feel like we ever got to really delve into their minds and see an explanation as to how they were processing. So much was left to interpretation and assumption, which is all well and good... but ultimately takes away from the story's allure. And man, poor sweet little Alison barely became her own character before she was collateral damage. She had no idea what she was getting herself involved with.

A podcast I listened to compared it to "Stand by Me" and I will have to politely disagree. While it was an equally dark and unfortunate tale, I don't think it is anywhere on the same level as Stand by Me. Despite being completely invested in the story, my emotions were not as engaged as they could have been due to the lack of personal connections made with each character. I don't think the audience was appropriately vulnerable given the nature of the event. All that being said, it was still very much worth the watch. Despite being a slow burn, it remains intriguing enough to keep you interested and wanting to know more. The acting and improv from these kids was absolutely fantastic.

Overall Rating: ****/*****