By Emilio Frenk
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Billy Burke and Maria Bello.
Rating: Excellent.
The acclaimed director from “ The Conjuring” James Wan, produces “Lights Out” and is one of the best horror films I have seen in a while.
Based on the 2013 Short Film of the same name, the story focuses in Martin (Gabriel Bateman) a young boy who is disturbed by a supernatural spirit once he strikes the lights out causing him not to sleep.
He asks for her sister Rebecca for help (Teresa Palmer) who suffered a similar encounter when she was a child and eventually will experience it again.
Now Rebecca wants to seek the truth about the nature of the problem and finds out that this spirit´s name is Diana (Alicia Vela-Bailey) who has a huge connection with Rebecca’s mother Sophie (Maria Bello).
Now both Rebecca and Martin have to confront their mother in order to stop her connection with Diana before it ends with the family.
What I loved of “Lights Out” was the fact that David Sandberg used all the psycological elements in a very smart way; this element has been lost lately in this genre and has been more focused on blood and guts, causing a low interest in the horror genre.
The Script and Direction was smart and engaging. This movie and “It Follows” directed by David Robert Mitchell which was released last year are the best movies on the horror genre I´ve seen in a long time.
I have to say that “Lights Out” I put it on the same caliber as movies like “The Shining” and “The Exorcist” which are cult classics and scared audiences back in the day and still does.
This movie has all the elements of a good horror movie and I give “Lights Out” a huge recommendation and one the biggest surprises of this year.