Darknet (Season 1) (Review)
Canada/2013
Format Viewed For Review: Netflix Instant
Netflix Streaming: Yes
Amazon Prime: No
"There are moments in
this series that were amazing, then there were the moments that were
disappointing."
A
horror anthology series based on a website called "Darknet," which
allows users to share videos and ask questions about the macabre...
Darknet
is a horror anthology series revolving around the titular website. Each
episode, except for the fifth, tells several short stories,
which are often masterfully woven together for some surprise endings.
The stories range from a creepy phone installer inadvertently
terrorizing an already unnerved woman, a suicide hotline caller with
horrifying messages, an office worker who is emailed videos of people
being murdered, and everything in between. For the most part, the series
sticks to the realm of human terror – don't expect zombies or ghosts to
grab you. I generally enjoyed most of the stories, despite some glaring
issues. However, I should note, I am a sucker for horror anthologies.
The season leads to an ambiguous ending – you can either take it as a
teaser for a future season or as something a bit more symbolic. (I
thought it was more of the latter.)
I loved how some of these
stories were seamlessly connected. It created a sense of mystery and an
ominous atmosphere through its storytelling. It keeps you on edge,
trying to guess how these stories will connect – and it was often
surprising. The second episode, for example, is probably one of my
favorites. The ending was chilling. The twisted storytelling,
interesting stories, and suspense are great; there's also plenty of gore
for gorehounds. As a horror anthology, it covers most bases in human terror. However,
most of the episodes after the second are actually fairly straightforward.
There are still several stories per episode, except for episode five,
but most of the stories don't link. And, even when they do link, it just
doesn't feel as clever as the earlier episodes.
I understand
the series isn't grounded in reality, but some of these episodes also left me
saying: "What?" These endings felt like they were written on a whim,
like if the writer had given up. (Episode 3 still has me rather baffled
for the wrong reasons.) It's not just the endings, though. At times, the
stories just feel so illogical and contrived. Like I said, I don't
expect 100% realism in my horror, but I would have liked something a bit
more natural. When the illogical characters and plot contrivances stick
out like sore thumbs, it really takes you out of the experience.
Although senseless violence is common, some of this was just ludicrous.
Regardless of the issues, there were still moments that I genuinely
enjoyed and the stories were still good. I had mixed-feelings, but most
of those feelings were good.
The acting was mostly decent,
occasionally great. Some of the cast was very stiff in their delivery,
though. It was something like: "I. Am. A. Robot. Please. Don't. Kill.
Me." (<- Read that in a robot voice, will ya? I can't convey it
through words.) There is a lack of conviction from some of the actors,
which makes the delivery less fluid and more artificial. Otherwise, the
series is technically well-made. The cinematography is good, the
camerawork is more than serviceable, and the special effects are strong.
From what I understand, each episode was helmed by a different
director. All of the episodes were well-crafted, creating moderate
suspense and developing an ominous atmosphere. The writing ranges from superb
to barely decent. Some of the writing is masterful, weaving stories
together while crafting pure dread; other stories feel underwhelming due
to glaring plot contrivances and illogical characters/choices.
Overall,
Darknet is a very good horror anthology series. There are moments in
this series that were amazing, then there were the moments that were
disappointing. Thanks to the direction, however, most of the series in
an enjoyable ride through the macabre. If you love horror anthologies as
much as I do, you're probably as forgiving as I am, so you'll likely
enjoy this series. It's not on par with Twilight Zone, my favorite
anthology series, or Japan's Tales of Terror from Tokyo and All Over
Japan, which is another excellent short story horror series, but it is a
great time-killer.
Score: 7/10
Parental Guide: Strong violence and gore, nudity.
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