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Reviews
Dark Intent (2003)
Chris Alsop's Dark Intent very dark indeed!
Chris Alsop's Dark Intent is a love-letter to the bygone era of slasher films. Audience members expecting the expected, however, will be in for a surprise, because Alsop takes no prisoners, and makes no apologies while he's at it. While the plot does adhere to convention, there are shocking twists and the most sudden (and to the point!) ending that this viewer has seen in a long time.
This short film belies it's low budget with nice tracking shots, a great score, and an engaging (if brief) performance from lead Traynor. However, the film is so dark (naturally, it takes place mainly in a basement after the lights have gone out) that it is sometimes hard as viewers to get our bearings on where we are. Of course, as a horror movie, that is also one of the film's strengths as well.
The film's major weakness is similar to to the one great flaw of Tobe Hooper's otherwise excellent Toolbox Murders: Alsop introduces us to a threatening, yet very intriguing, villain... and ultimately fails to tell us anything about him. Watching Dark Intent, we are left wanting more. Which isn't such a bad thing, either, as horror movies go...
Sequel?