Left In Darkness

Starz /Anchor Bay

R4 DVD

Prod. Stephen Cannell

Director Steven Monroe

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

Celia’s mother died in childbirth. She has been raised by her doting grandfather ever since, until he died a year ago. In her childhood she had a mysterious and ghostly friend who protected her from harm, but she has grown out of that. Now 21, Celia and her friend attend a college party where Celia is drugged, raped, and dies of an overdose. She wakes up to find she is trapped in a sort of limbo land between heaven and hell. It is populated by zombie-like creatures who eat souls and can take on the persona of the owner of the soul. Fortunately her childhood protector is there to help her adjust. He points out that Celia is safe inside her “sanctuary”, an area where, while there is some sort of power to provide light, she cannot be attacked. Only Celia can invite people into her sanctuary. The spirits of her grandfather and mother try to protect her and help her, but they are no match for the soul-eaters. From here it is a question of who Celia can trust. Are her grandfather and her mother really themselves, or soul-eaters? Is her friend really her friend, or has he been taken by a soul-eater, or is he something worse? Is there a way out for Celia?

The film takes place in the old house, with a few car interior shots for variety, but the repetitive use of the same rooms has “low budget” all over it. Low Budget it may be, but Steven Monroe’s brilliant direction and the restrained special effects provide a level of tension I had not expected. The story moves quickly from crisis to crisis, and even the few quiet moments have a hint of menace in them. I was surprised to find that this film went straight to DVD, possibly as a result of  Monroe's earlier films being received without much enthusiasm. He has made up for them with this gem. The skillfully written story is handled with a style and class that lifts it above the usual shock/horror/buckets of blood movie.

It is helped by quite good acting. Monica Keena does a pretty good job as Celia, even if the script is only adequate (again, the low budget). David Anders plays Donovan, the ambiguous childhood friend, very powerfully. He has the best part in the story, but you must wait until near the end of the movie to find out if he is really good or bad. Every time the camera closes in on his face your opinion changes. The cinematographer, Matthew Heckerling, strengthens the suspense by his contrast between the light (safety) and the dark (menace).

It is one of those unusual films where a really good piece of drama comes from a low budget simply because everyone involved really worked at it.