If you drop honey into a barrel of tar, then the essence will not change - the tar will remain tar. But if you drip tar in a barrel of honey, it will greatly hit the taste, especially if the tar in the case of a movie is the ending, and honey is the rest of the film. "Very Dark Times" is probably the best description of such a metaphor in cinema in recent times. Viewers of a certain age and/or background may regard The Times as a very good film. Others risk seeing Super Dark Times as a tedious and waste of time. And the third group of viewers, to which the author of this note belonged, can be hypnotically absorbed by what is happening on the screen until the beginning of a stupid denouement, capable of spoiling the entire impression of viewing.
The main characters are Zach and his best friend Josh. They're both in love with pretty Allison, hanging out with friends and, of course, a bunch of bullies stalk the whole company. Is the above a stamp or a fundamental element of film interpretation? Depends on the spectator's sophistication. Without revealing too much about the plot, something like this happens: Josh’s older brother went to serve in the army, leaving a treasure trove of pornography, marijuana and knives in his room. Doing nothing leads to tragedy.
For the first 20 minutes, nothing happens. We get acquainted with the characters and indulge in nostalgia. After the central act, watching "Times" becomes quite interesting. The confrontation of two feelings, namely conscience and fear, is transmitted very vividly. One of the teens, the more sensitive Zach, can barely bring himself to talk. Josh experiences tragedy in his own way and more aggressively. Violence, shame and fear destroyed the friendship and innocence of the main characters. The central theme here is not the tragic incident and the consequences, but rather how the heroes experience it.
At some point, "Very Dark Times" gets lost. The psychological stress of the characters turns into a lubricant, according to which the script and smart ideas slide with a whistle into the abyss. A dark film transforms into a mindless slasher and its intrinsic value fades. Perhaps the filmmakers felt that something was missing and added clearly not what should have been added.
Beyond that, there is a subtle line in The Times between the literal bloody violence and the violent language of teenagers. To be honest, that’s why the movie doesn’t work. Josh, for example, is the familiar archetype of the world-offended loner. You don’t have to watch it closely to know how it will end. And many other mistakes beginners here in abundance: a few useless characters and thoughtless stretching of timekeeping.
A strong and specific depressive mood can hide many of the film’s flaws. Artistic sadness adjusts from the first frame. At some point, it doesn’t matter what happens on the screen. The main thing here is how it is shown. The cold picturesque landscape of the American backwater seeps into both the psyche of the characters and the psyche of the viewer, causing malaise. The scenery itself seems to tell the story. Even before the main event occurs, subtle hints that something is out of place seep through the screen. For example, a bridge closed for repair, dilapidated buildings, graffiti, rusty fences, there are no people on the streets, static frames of trees against a blue light, a broken school window. The city and the microcosm of the heroes are in the process of self-destruction, as in Reflective Skin.
Naturally, all the actors are selected for their roles wonderfully. Even the images of adults, although deliberately grossly presented here, create an additional layer of realism that makes it easier to digest the disappointing third act.
Very Dark Times is a dignified look at the world of teenagers, exploring themes such as loneliness, envy and shattered dreams. Because of the feelings of nostalgia and the general nature of the narrative, a comparison to Stranger Things is almost inevitable, but personally I like to think of Dark Times as an "adult" version of Stay With Me or as if John Hughes made some super dark movie. In the end, despite the obvious flaws, debutant Kevin Phillips proved that he has undoubted directorial talent.
5 out of 10