Movie Review: DARK WATERS

Not to be confused with DARK WATER, the 2005 movie starring Jennifer Connelly, or with the Japanese movie of the same name, of which the former is a remake, or with the early 90s cartoon miniseries that later birthed a Saturday morning cartoon series, this one is called DARK WATERS, plural. It’s also sometimes marketed as DEAD WATERS, probably to differentiate it from those projects I just mentioned, all having the same name. This one doesn’t have the budget of any of those three other DARK WATER projects, though, not even the animated series. It’s strictly a low-budget affair, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Horror and miniscule budgets get along just fine.

Filmed on location in Ukraine, DARK WATERS is a damn pretty movie. Unfortunately the script needs a little of the polish they put on the cinematography. It isn’t altogether clear what’s going on in the film, or why. I saw it and felt reasonably confident that I knew what had happened. Then I read the online summarization and realized that the script hadn’t conveyed everything it was supposed to get across to the audience. Primarily the motivation of numerous characters is underdeveloped.

There’s a creepy convent of creepy nuns established on this creepy little island, and they are there to keep a Lovecraftian evil imprisoned in the catacombs beneath the island. This is the part that’s unclear, as the movie goes out of its way to make the order of creepy nuns look like heels who you’d expect to be worshipping the monster rather than keeping it locked away. But the movie is sure pretty to look at.

I’d recommend watching the making-of feature that accompanies the DVD, as this feature is more interesting in a way than the movie itself. Filming in a foreign country, overseen by a corrupt production company, during an attempted coup makes for some good stories after the fact.

By TheCheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS, specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced, and directed (and occasionally acted in) over two dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and True Crime genres. He obtained a doctorate in Occult Studies from Miskatonic University and is an active paranormal investigator. Is frequently told he resembles Anton Lavey. And Ming the Merciless. Denn die totden reiten schnell!

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