Demonic horror has been a key part of the genre for well over half a century, to the extent that a lot of even the most ardent gorehounds have grown desensitized to watching the devil do his dirty work. That being said, The Dark and the Wicked is one of the finest examples to emerge in years, but didn’t find anywhere near the level of success or awareness it deserved.
“Elevated horror” is a term that even the filmmakers behind the projects tarred with the nomenclature don’t care for, but they’re happy to embrace it when so many titles squashed under the umbrella find major critical, commercial, or social media success. And yet, writer and director Bryan Bertino’s nightmarish chiller failed to make much of a dent in the cultural conversation.
Released during the height of the pandemic’s first wave in November 2020, The Dark and the Wicked saw its chances of box office success scuppered by COVID, leading to a haul of only $422,000. However, a Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes of 91 percent from upwards of 100 reviews paints the picture of a hidden gem that needs to be uncovered by a wider audience.
That could be on the horizon, though, seeing as a Reddit thread has found every single reply and comment – even from those who freely admit they don’t get scared by spooky content anymore – coming clean and confirming that The Dark and the Wicked frightened the living sh*t out of them.
An acclaimed commercial disappointment that didn’t catch on at first, only to eventually find a second wind as a potential all-time great of its chosen sandbox? Sounds like a cult classic, which is a status the haunting tale of a dying father allowing his family to succumb to a growing evil absolutely deserves.
Published: Mar 7, 2023 03:29 am