The Darkest Hour

Director: Chris Gorak
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Max Minghella, Olivia Thirlby, Rachael Taylor and Joel Kinnaman
Releasing in cinemas: 19 January 2012
Rated: M

The Darkest Hour commences with promise, but settles into a one-note groove, so monotonous it could be your darkest ninety minutes. Director Chris Gorak, apparently believing less is more, creates aliens which are fuzzy globes of light, assuming a partially concealed spook will be scarier than a fully revealed one. Val Lewton, master of low budget horror films, used this concept to much effect, especially in the shadowy Cat People. However Gorak's taken it too far for his excursion into Armageddon. The alien party trick is to blast humans to gritty dust, except for shoes which are left littering the streets of Moscow. This is effective the first time, but endless repetition dulls the experience, and when you finally view the aliens in more detail, it's a let-down.

The most notable thing about The Darkest Hour are the stylish shots of contemporary Moscow, maybe designed to win a subsidy from their tourist bureau. That may explain how the authorities would empty the streets for filming disaster scenes. The script presents a major hurdle, with dialogue lame to the point of being ludicrous, and many inconsistencies in the plot - ‘Where logic and proportion have fallen slightly dead’ (apologies to Grace Slick). The cast struggle with mundane one-liners of the ilk, “Be careful, they're out there”; and “Team work makes the dream work”.

Our story opens on a plane approaching Moscow in a mysterious storm - a neat gag predicting things to come. Two young American entrepreneurs, Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella), visit Moscow to try and sell their latest Internet development, only to be outdone by tough no-holds-barred Swedish businessman Skylar (Joel Kinnaman). To drown their sorrows and hoping to pick up chicks, Sean and Ben head for the trendy Zvezda Nightclub. There they chat up two attractive girls on a stopover, Natalie (Olivia Thirlby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor). Skylar also turns up on the scene.

All is looking peaches, until the lights go out. Left in darkness, the nightclub patrons spill out onto the streets to be greeted by the sight of modules of light falling en masse from the skies (reflecting a scene from Melancholia). But these alien lights are full of menace and microwaves. Soon the crowd of onlookers are toasted crumbs, and our heroes barely escape the massacre. Up to this point the film looks good, and keeps interest from flagging. Sadly it becomes ho-hum for the rest.

The five start the journey across devastated Moscow to a nuclear submarine, waiting in the harbour to take survivors to safety. This is risky because all power is out - the omnipresent alien invaders draw strength from electricity sources. They’re  invisible during the day, but light up electric globes with their electromagnetic force at night. In one impressive scene, a multitude of globes burst into light. (don't ask about the science in that).

During their odyssey across what’s left of the city, they meet an oddball professor in a Faraday cage, a feisty girl miraculously surviving, and a small group of Russian vigilantes determined to fight back. Constantly threatened by the alien forces, the cast members gradually diminish. Their chief weapon is a weird electronic gun, appearing to be a leftover from Dr. Who.

At the helm, Chris Gorak is an experienced art director (his previous feature was Right At Your Door). Here, possibly hampered by the bland script of John Spaihts, his film suffers from a lack of substance in his alien invaders and boring repetition of their destructive habits. Sci-fi fans may want more for their money. None of the cast give any real depth to their characters, again a scripting fault. It’s difficult to get involved with their plight.

Emile Hirsch (Into The Wild) and Max Minghella (The Ides of March) go through their paces with as much enthusiasm as they can muster, while Olivia Thirlby (No Strings Attached) and Rachael Taylor (Red Dog) do what they can to decorate the scenery, when not registering bewilderment or frustration at the turn of events.

Enlivening matters are Scott Kevan's inspired low angle shots of deserted streets and interiors, making good use of the Moscow background. But these alone can't save the show. The special effects and 3D presentation are adequate for a film of this kind. Be very afraid, there may be a sequel in the wind. 

John Bale