Review: In Darkness
In Darkness begins with a woman being strangled. As she struggles against her fate, the footage rewinds and one realises that this murder is a scene from a film and that the violent music we hear is being played by an orchestra during a recording session. From the get-go, In Darkness, a suspenser in the vein of Rear Window and Wait Until Dark, establishes itself as a sly, stylish and self-aware piece and its well-controlled execution ensures audience goodwill during its most unconvincing moments.
Natalie Dormer, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film, stars as Sofia, a visually impaired pianist living in London. A self-sufficient sort, she seems to have a solitary life and is focused solely on her music. She's friendly with her upstairs neighbour, the beautiful and seductive Veronique (Emily Ratajkowski), whom Sofia can define by her distinctive scent and who has enlisted Sofia to perform at her father's benefit. The mystery begins in earnest when Sofia overhears muffled arguments, hurried footsteps, a laugh, and then a thud as Veronique's body hits the ground below.
As the rumpled Detective Mills (Neil Maskell) snoops around and the media coverage ensues, viewers learn that Veronique was the daughter of a notorious war criminal named Radic (Jan Bijvoet) and that Sofia may not be as innocent a bystander as she appears. Also in the mix are siblings Marc (Ed Skrein) and Alex (Joely Richardson, clearly relishing her villainous turn), the latter Veronique's possible killer and ordered by the former to track down an important USB stick that Veronique had in her possession. He soon becomes entangled with Sofia, who is unaware that he's been tracking her all this time.
Director Anthony Byrne, who co-wrote the screenplay, does an excellent job in maintaining the film's tension and certainly knows how to stage a scene with visual flair. Particularly remarkable is the moment of Veronique's death - the shadow of her body passing on the wall in Sofia's apartment. Byrne varies the trick in a later sequence as a street fight is depicted as shadows against a graffitied wall. The film's main flaw may be its ambitious narrative which, will sometimes clever, does slightly muddle proceedings especially as the film progresses. Nevertheless, even this can be forgiven especially since there are more pros than cons, and Dormer delivers a superb performance as the steely, resilient, determined, and vulnerable Sofia.
In Darkness
Directed by: Anthony Byrne
Written by: Anthony Byrne, Natalie Dormer
Starring: Natalie Dormer, Ed Skrein, Emily Ratajkowski, Joely Richardson, Neil Maskell, Jan Bijvoet
