Avis Metacritic

A horror movie, a creepy and atmospheric and sometimes blood-soaked horror movie, and it’s got a good amount going for it.

Dark was the Night had the potential to engender scares, but the movie suffers from trying too hard.

A creepy descent into madness called Dark Was the Night is better than most.

Solid performances help the dramatic aspects achieve at least some of the gravity aimed for, which in turn helps elevate the proceedings a notch above standard horror suspense until the final reel’s requisite violent payoff.

The narrative strikes a mostly sensible (if overly earnest) ratio of inner-turmoil human theater to B-movie monster hunt, before ultimately tilting toward the classic drive-in with climactic siege action and old-school effects.

While its emphasis on character dynamics and a slow burn atmosphere is to be commended, Dark Was the Night is too derivative and familiar to make much of an impact.

The trouble lies in Tyler Hisel’s script, which teems with wheezy conventions.

The film may take the notion of implication over illustration a bit too far.

After a bloody prologue, when a lumberman sprays his blood all over the interior of his pickup’s windshield, Dark Was the Night settles in for a long, creepy slumber — more sleepy than creepy, truthfully.

The script, the special effects and Jack Heller's direction simply don't add up in the profile of the mythical creature. It's quite obvious the filmmakers didn't put a lot of thought into it and went straight for the cheapest thrills.