"With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us..." well almost, but I couldn't resist trying to squeeze a Nirvana reference into the review. Apparently it isn't less dangerous with the lights out, at least not within the context of this movie. The crucial question is, however, did it entertain me? Will it entertain you? Unfortunately on balance it didn't entertain me, but you never know, it might still entertain you?
The plot of this movie revolves around light, or perhaps a better way to think sbout it, what lurks beyond the light. Lights Out begins in a factory, a woman is conducting what appears to be a stock check. She turn the light off in a room and the silhouette of a tall shape resembling a woman appears. She turns the light back on, it disappears, she turns the light off, it appears, she turns the light on and the shape has moved closer. At that point in the movie I thought, why not just stop turning the light on and off? Indeed, all through the movie this turning of lights on and off is a recurring theme with slight variation. This strange shape attacks Paul (he is important to the plot) who realises that the shape does not come into the light. Unfortunately it doesn't stop the shape from kiling him. The rest of the movie revolves around his widowed wife, his young son and older step daughter and their struggles to banish the shape from their lives.
Lights Out apparently was adapted from a short film and it shows. The skin of the movie has been pulled and stretched until breaking point, indeed it is so taunt it is almost transparent. The movie has a strong opening scene, followed by more scenes involving the same motif, interspersed with scenes that appear to be there just to break the monotony. Light good, dark bad. Yes, that is great but an entire movie based around scene after scene of this became rather monotonous. Of course you could delve deeper and see this conflict between light and dark as a metaphor for the Mum's battle against depression. Indeed, apparently the story was to be about depression but in the process of development became a horror.
The movie, no doubt about it, is a well put together movie from a technical perspective. The acting is generally good and the special effects are enough to not jar suspension of disbelief. The cinematography is good, and there are some creepy images that will no doubt disturb the casual horror movie fan. Unfortunately for the hardened horror movie fanatics among us the movie promised, but failed to deliver, by the end it was like a torch with a flat battery.... dull.
5 out of 10
Summary: hits the ground running, then flickers out.