DVD Review: A Dark Place

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Steel Country

In a small Pennsylvania town, a socially awkward (and likely on the autism spectrum) sanitation worker Donnie (Andrew Scott) becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of a missing boy that he recognizes from his route.

This might be one of the dumbest movies I've seen in a long time but man was it a wild ride. At one point I almost shrieked with laughter at the sheer audacity of a plot point this movie had. It was so bonkers that I'm forgiving Amazon Prime for bait and switching me once again into thinking I could watch something because of my Prime membership. (You can watch this film for free, but technically it's not from Amazon but IMDb TV so you have to watch it with ads)

The script is so beyond belief stupid. See Donnie might be strange, but he's a good person! He takes care of his elderly mother like every other strange single guy does in film because it's so original and how are we supposed to know they're GOOD people deep down if they don't take care of their mothers? He's also the father of an eleven year old daughter, which is what kick starts the whole mystery. She lives with her mom, who had a drunken one night stand with Donnie because let's face it, he still looks like Hot Priest even with his silly winter cap on in the middle of summer and she's of course a stereotypical bad mom who is called a "whore" by Donnie's friend, and co-worker Donna. (Bronagh Waugh) 

So tropes and cliches aside, everyone in this town seems to know there is something suspicious going on, even the police, yet no one wants to help and everyone seems more than eager to have Donnie of all people try to crack the case. He's given leads by people who lets face it, could have helped him at any time but chose not to. It leads to so many bizarre circumstances that Donnie should've either been at the very least arrested for, and at worst, possibly murdered. 

Andrew Scott is a wonderful actor and he's trying his best here. It's a different type of role for him but this movie is just atrocious. The script fails him (and all the other actors) on every level.

Recommended: No

Grade: D

Memorable Quote: "Donnie and Donna, it just doesn't sound right!" - Donnie (Andrew Scott)

Comments

  1. keith71_98April 18, 2020 at 11:08 AM

    Hmmm, I think I'll take a pass.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thevoid99April 18, 2020 at 7:08 PM

    That premise does sound stupid. Thanks for making me not see it. In response to Bergman, I'd go with The Seventh Seal then Persona, Wild Strawberries, Fanny & Alexander, and Scenes from a Marriage.

    Winter Light is a film that's part of a trilogy of films about the absence of faith along with Through a Glass Darkly and Silence as that's something to watch later on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamApril 19, 2020 at 9:57 AM

      I've seen all of those you mentioned aside from Through a Glass Darkly and Silence, The former being recommended more than once. I may land on that.

      Delete
  3. m.brownApril 20, 2020 at 5:58 PM

    I love how all these smart people say 'thanks for warning me' and all I can think is DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE???

    Thank God I don't have Prime or I would abandon my children immediately for whatever this mysterious plot point is!

    Dammit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamApril 20, 2020 at 7:53 PM

      I'll tell you since no one is seeing this. He doesn't believe the dead boy's autopsy report so he literally digs up the body, drives it to another city and tries to talk a mortician that he doesn't know into looking at it again...and he somehow is not arrested for this. Like WHAT?!

      Delete
    2. m.brownApril 21, 2020 at 10:55 AM

      Amazing. Just....perfect. *sigh*

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamApril 21, 2020 at 12:13 PM

      The guy's like "man, you can't do this!"

      Dude, call the police. lmao

      Delete

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