Lights Out: Review

Rebecca’s (Teressa Palmer) young brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) is beginning to experience the same strange events that tested her sanity several years back. She sets about working to find out where this terror has come from, brining her to an eventual confrontation with an entity that has an attachment with their mother, Sophie (Maria Bello).

Lights Out is a horror. It builds tension, and pushes the viewer to scare themselves, eschewing conventional jump-scares and gimmicks to work at the subconscious. The film has an engrossing plot, coupled with some great acting and direction. Not to mention cinematography that is designed to make you think twice as to whether you have spotted something in a dark corner, or is this just a trick of light, much like the characters might experience.

For fans of horror, Lights Out skips the gore, evil monsters, and violence often associated with lower budget entries to the genre. While plot twists won’t leave you wondering what is happening, there are enough curves in the story to keep one guessing. There is some predictability, but none so obvious that you’ll figure the entire third act out before the halfway point of the film.

Displaying love for each other, the family that is the focus of the entity’s attention are you typical unit of kin. And it’s this mix, and many layers of relationship, that bulks up the story, and again sets Lights Out apart from other films in the horror genre.

A thoroughly engrossing story, that will scare you, and entertain you. Lights Out opens 22 July 2016 in South African cinemas.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb