The Dark Hours (2005)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Paul Fox

Writer:

Wil Zmak (writer)

Release Date:

11 November 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

She spent years getting into the mind of a monster... Now he's getting into hers

Plot:

The thirty and something years old psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Goodman has an incurable brain tumor that has just started to grow...

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Winter | Dream | Tied To Chair | Snowmobile

Awards:

10 wins

Cast

Kate Greenhouse	...	Samantha Goodman
Aidan Devine	...	Harlan Pyne
Gordon Currie	...	David Goodman
Iris Graham	...	Melody
Dov Tiefenbach	...	Adrian
David Calderisi	...	Dr. Lew Lanigan
Jeff Seymour	...	Radiologist
Trevor Hayes	...	Doctor
Bruce McFee	...	Donald Wegman
Kathryn Haggis	...	Waitress

Also Known As:

Head Games (Canada: English title) (working title) (USA) (working title)
The Dark Hours (Canada: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for terror/violence, a scene of self mutilation, language and sexual content.

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | USA:R | Germany:16 | UK:18 | Singapore:R21 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Calder Road Films

Goofs:

Continuity: After Donald Wegman launches his attack at Doctor Goodman, across the desk, he is bound at his wrists and ankles. As he's carried out in the next shot, his wrists are free.

Hits the spot

Kate Greenhouse is a good looking, successful doctor who looks after criminally insane psychopaths in a mental institute. At the beginning of the film she has to assess a mental and decide if he's worthy for release. The relevance of this scene to the rest of the picture is notional but we are immediately aware that she has massive power over certain people.

She is sick. She has a rare brain tumour. There is a cure but its not legit and it's not safe. Luck deals her an ace when she's given a patient / prisoner / mental who has the same condition as her. She tests the cure on him.

She goes away for the weekend to surprise her sappy, writer husband in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. He's there with her younger gorgeous sister (give me the name of any women who would "authorise" that and then give me her number). She confronts them with her illness and everyone is shocked and depressed.

Then there is a knock on the door....

This film was a complete shock to me. I was not expecting a claustrophobic, horror, physiological thriller. It actually scared me in places and I am one of those people who have come to the opinion that movies are not scary anymore.

I thought about this one for a long time. It is now precious to me.