56
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Arizona RepublicRandy CordovaArizona RepublicRandy CordovaIt's a smart, well-crafted tale that is thoroughly contemporary, yet somewhat old-school in that it doesn't go for cheap shocks. Instead, the emphasis is on mood, atmosphere and some sharply etched characterizations.
- 70The New York TimesTeo BugbeeThe New York TimesTeo BugbeeWith each new element, Down a Dark Hall reveals itself, with improbable delight, to be genuinely strange — a movie in which viewers can pick their own pleasure, no two spectators having exactly the same experience.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckIts elegant subtlety feels refreshing in this era of over-the-top horror films.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThurman, oily accent dripping with menace, is no Disney villain here. She’s real world dangerous, vulpine, callous, keeping supernatural secret threats from her pupils.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKimber MyersLos Angeles TimesKimber MyersBased on Lois Duncan’s gothic young adult novel, Down a Dark Hall is entry-level horror for teens. The scares might not satisfy those old enough to vote, but it should provide mild chills for its target audience.
- 60VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThis is a decent modern Gothic thriller handled with sufficient style and a straight face by genre ace Cortés. His efforts, and strong performances by the young female leads, make for a movie that’s fairly strong meat by juvenile fantasy standards, if probably a tad wimpy for horror-fan tastes.
- 50RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comSomehow, neither the plentiful creaky floorboards that the story rests on nor Thurman’s spot-on, French-accented coolness manages to send shivers down the audience’s spine through this allegorical and bitterly timeless tale of female exploitation.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDown a Dark Hall eventually goes Down a Convoluted Tunnel, with some admittedly creepy but also just plain crazy sequences that play like “Eyes Wide Shut” meets “The Shining.”
- 40Village VoiceTatiana CraineVillage VoiceTatiana CraineUltimately, Down a Dark Hall falls victim to familiar teen horror tropes: a brooding lead with a heart of gold, predictable jump scares, wincingly bad romantic tension, and obvious villains.