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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year

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Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

A black-and-white, animated horror anthology. I read those words on the back of Fear(s) of the Dark (Peur(s) du noir in French) and I was practically running towards the till to add it to my collection. Well, it certainly is black-and-white and I’d describe most of the shorts as “animated” but horror? That’s dubious. At best, this film is a little freaky. So many aspects of this collection are just plain wrong. It’s like someone deliberately sabotaged it. None of the stories are named so we’ll have to go through them chronologically and based on their description.

The first segment/Wraparound follows a grimacing man as he walks his four ferocious dogs down various streets. Letting them off their leashes one at a time, he laughs gleefully as they tear apart anyone in their path.

There is no reason for this story to be chopped up like it is except to make it seem longer. The visuals are interesting - the grimacing face of the man is pretty creepy - but what does it all mean? One of the canine’s victims is a boy with black, soulless eyes. Ok… so what? Does it symbolize anything? Not really. Next!

In the second segment/Wraparound, the disembodied voice of a woman (Nicole Garcia) confesses her various fears while abstract shapes appear on-screen.

There are several weird stories in this anthology and the segments vary in quality significantly. By far, this one is the weirdest and the worst. Not the least bit frightening, it's only visually stimulating for a short while, after which it becomes dull. Seeing squares move across the screen and circles twirl around, occasionally crossing over and changing from black to white or white to black is just about the last thing I'd associate with "fear".

The third story follows a young man named Eric (Guillaume Depardieu) who discovers and captures a strange human-like insect in the woods. It escapes into his room and disappears. Years later, he is a socially awkward college student who begins -against all odds- dating Laura (Aureoles Atika). The longer they are together, the more obsessive she becomes.

Anyone who has read Black Hole will instantly recognize this segment's visual style. It looks alright but Charles Burns' distinct designs work better on paper than they do on the 3D models used to bring this story to life. As for the rest, it disappoints. The weird bug Eric finds as a child is obviously tied to what’s happening between him and Laura. What does an obsessive girlfriend have to do with insects? Your guess is as good as mine. Only two of the stories in Fear(s) of the Dark feature strong violence and nudity, making the film R-rated. Too bad because no adult will be surprised by what this, or any other chapter in this film so far, has to offer.

In a small Japanese town, Ayakawa Sumako is teased by her classmates, who tell her the ghost of a samurai named Hajime will come to haunt her. Are they simply bullying the girl, or do the stories about her home by the cemetery have some bearing of truth?

Designed and directed by Marie Caillou, I suspect people will fall into two camps when it comes to this story. Either they’ll find the visuals quite cheap-looking, or fine. I fall into the latter category though I would describe it more as an experiment in Flash animation than something with potential for expansion. The story has a couple of neat visuals, particularly the yōkai but otherwise leaves you cold.

After a series of disappearances attributed to a wild animal, a young boy (Arthur H) living in rural France encounters a strange creature.

The second best of all the stories has a nice, straightforward structure. The conclusion is effective and gives you just the tiniest bit of the willies. There are some neat surprises and the premise is good. If all the previously disappointing attempts to scare you (assuming that’s the goal here) have left you disappointed, this is one you can look forward to.

To escape a blizzard, a man breaks into an abandoned home. Inside, he finds a photo album owned by the woman who used to live there before going insane.

We’re leaving on a high note… or we would if this segment wasn’t capped by the last bits of that woman monologuing wraparound. Either way, this is easily the best of the scary stories. The use of blacks and whites is masterful. The images are simple but striking. The suspense and scares are real. It's a joy to watch because most of the screen is taken up by this prevailing darkness and it’s only a few white shapes here and there that allow you to see and understand what’s happening. It could’ve easily been difficult to piece together the narrative, as there is no dialogue but everything’s clear. It's expertly done.

Despite two strong stories, Fear(s) of the Dark is predominantly boring. I don’t know what the editor who put all this together was thinking with two wraparounds, particularly the one directed by Pierre di Sciullo, which means nothing to anyone watching. If you don’t speak French, you’ll be frustrated by how needlessly wordy some of these stories are (French takes about 1 1/2 times as many characters to say what you would in English). If the payoff were big you wouldn’t mind but it isn’t.

Those who wind up with a physical copy of Fear(s) of the Dark" might think some redemption lies in the special features. I'm warning you to stay away from them. Some of the bonus materials are literally MySpace videos made by fans of the (then upcoming) project. It’s amateur hour to the max and frankly, embarrassing to watch. If the last two shorts of Fear(s) of the Dark are playing at a horror shorts festival, you could sit down and watch them but this package is not worth your time. (Original French on DVD, October 20, 2019)

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