Danika (2006)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Ariel Vromen

Writer:

Joshua Leibner (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Her visions are beyond your worst fears...

Plot:

The story follows Danika, a woman whose fears for her children are manifested in premonitions of death and disaster. Bierko plays Tomei's husband, while Hall is her psychiatrist and confidant.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Premonition | Nightmare | Psychiatrist | Nanny

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Marisa Tomei	...	Danika Merrick
Hannah Marks	...	Lizzie Geralds
Guy Camilleri	...	Man
Akuyoe Graham	...	Patricia Guilford
Ori Pfeffer	...	Bank Robber #1
Jeffrey Nicholas Brown	...	Bank Robber #2 (as Jeffrey Brown)
Craig Bierko	...	Randy Merrick
Kyle Gallner	...	Kurt Merrick
Nicki Prian	...	Lauren (as Nicky Prian)
Ridge Canipe	...	Brian Merrick
Regina Hall	...	Evelyn Harris
Jacqueline Piñol	...	Nanny
James Avery	...	Teddy Johnson
Tanya Linette Smith	...	Sales Lady
John Ducey	...	TV Anchorman

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, some sexual content and a scene of drug use.

Runtime:

USA:79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Blue Omega Entertainment

Trivia:

Craig Bierko joined the cast the day before shooting began, replacing the original actor cast as Randy.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the soccer scene, the bench where Danika and Lauren are sitting can be seen to be empty as Brian runs toward it.

Movie Connections:

References Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

Soundtrack:

Black Dirt

huh?

There are numerous movies out there that handle psychosis and paranoia and some of them handle it pretty well. Danika most certainly does not.

The only way you could defend the setup of the movie is by saying that we as viewers see the world through the eyes of the disturbed Danika. Well, after 30 minutes of that, it becomes pretty annoying and tedious.

At first I thought the movie was setup to make it hard to follow what was happening. But in the end there was nothing connecting to anything in it. Non of the plot-points that were introduced during the repetitive scenes had any relevance to the eventual end of the movie. And the result is a viewer who is left feeling like a fool.

I believe that it was the directors intend to let the audience be unaware of what was real and what wasn't. But the moments of unclarity were too obvious to achieve that effect.

This movie has not much to show for besides a woman and her delusions. It is devoid of plot, impressive special effects or memorable acting.

Not recommended.