By Ian Bonham

Lights Out (15)

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alicia Vela-Bailey

Director: David F. Sandberg

Writers: Eric Heisserer, David F. Sandberg

Duration: 1hr, 21 minutes

Opening at Leisure Cinemas this Friday 19^th August

I like this time of year. I like the weather, and I like the Cinema because now all the blockbusters are out the way cinema gets interesting! Indeed after a summer with more tentpoles than a Scout Jamboree it’s so refreshing to see the smaller budget stuff being released before the Oscar bait movies arrive in the autumn. These smaller films have to make much more effective use of their budgets, and lacking the money for Hollywood ‘Stars’ the lesser known actors get their breaks. That was the case with the thriller “The Shallows” which blew me away last week. This week, another treat in the horror “Lights Out”. Well, I say horror…it’s not the sort of movie that relies on blood and gore to chill you to the bone (“Saw” franchise, I’m looking at you), but you might need a nightlight in the bedroom for a few weeks after watching this one.

Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) has left home, and in doing so has got away from the nightmares that used to haunt her in the dark. She is called to her little brother Martin’s school (Gabriel Bateman) because he keeps falling asleep in class, and Child Services have concerns as to why. Rebecca takes Martin home, and on the way discovers that he is being haunted by the same nightmares she used to have. He pleads to be able to sleep at her place, just so he can get a good night’s sleep and she eventually relents and allows him. They soon find themselves under attack from the mysterious entity that has been haunting both their childhoods, known only as ‘Diana’. The catch is, it can only attack when the lights are out…

It sounds like a silly premise, but to be honest it works exceptionally well. Writer/Director Sandberg has a true grip of the genre and deploys all the tropes with style and flair. There are various “Don’t go down the cellar alone in the dark” moments, and I was grinning ear to ear because you know you are being set up. When the pay-off comes, even though you have been sitting there waiting for it they are so well directed and acted you still spit your coke over the person in front of you. The story is just strong enough for you to suspend disbelief, and by the third act I was forgiving its dodgier elements - it is a supernatural horror after all. 

In many respects this reminded me of the original “Nightmare on Elm Street”, just with less gore (the 1984 ‘Elm Street’, not the increasingly bizarre sequels, or [shudders] the ill-advised 2010 remake). The tight budget really helps this movie; it doesn’t need gallons of blood and gore or out-of-control CGI effects. The cast are all excellent and sell the story convincingly. I really hope we don’t head into repetitive sequel territory with this one as the tale is well told, and self-contained with a great climax. Be warned though, if you go to watch it with ‘a screamer’ you will find your ears ringing for several days after...