While many films stand the test of time, others fade into obscurity. Whether this happens over a period of years or almost instantly upon a film’s release, one thing is clear: Dark Water has slipped through the cracks of our collective memory to join the ranks of the Films That Time Forgot.
First off, Dark Water is an American remake of a Japanese horror movie made just three years earlier. Surely that’s got to be strike one. However, we’ll look past it, if only because the world of cinema was very different twenty years ago and apparently no one realized how pointless the practice was. In fairness, The Ring had done very well.
Dark Water‘s big draw is its cast. Jennifer Connelly stars as Dahlia, a mother to a young girl, Cecilia, who has recently separated from her husband Kyle (Dougray Scott). As part of an increasingly vicious custody battle, the desperate Dahlia rents the first available apartment she finds, meeting building manager Murray (John C. Reilly) and the building’s super, Mr. Veeck (Pete Postlethwaite). Strange occurrences soon dredge up Dahlia’s own troubled childhood and seemingly threaten her daughter as she slowly realizes that the building may be haunted. It’s only Dahlia’s lawyer Jeff (Tim Roth) who seems to want to actually help her improve her situation before it’s too late.
Considering it’s a remake, maybe it’s a little too obvious to decry Dark Water‘s plot as unoriginal. Unexciting might be a more accurate term, although it’s all relative: the film at least starts with enough atmosphere to make its plot feel somewhat compelling. The building is certainly creepy enough, as is Reilly’s slippery and neglectful manager. Unfortunately, it’s all too evident why the film has been forgotten, even in spite of its excellent mid-’00s cast.
Dark Water Proved To Be Another Needless Remake
The thing about pointless movie remakes is that they add nothing to the original. Dark Water is unfortunately one such film, that feels flat and unimaginative throughout. This is mostly down to the story itself, as the performances from its cast are solid, and there’s a genuine feeling of suspense that builds throughout the first act.
As events continue to unfold, it becomes clear that Dark Water‘s story is a simple tale of a haunted home, with vague themes of childhood trauma and parental responsibility loosely featuring. There’s very little that genuinely sets it apart from other such stories, and that’s precisely its problem. In fact, it seems to want to succeed on its cast’s talent alone, and offers up very little of any genuine merit.
That said, it’s not an unenjoyable movie. There’s enough of a story to entertain and a few moments that evoke every parent’s worst nightmares, so it’s a passable enough horror movie. Even so, it’s not one that’s likely to haunt the memory for very long, and has been justifiably lost to the dark waters of cinematic history. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
Rating: 50%
Summary: A brilliant cast and atmospheric visuals can’t elevate Dark Water‘s plot to anything beyond average.
Highlight: John C. Reilly’s performance as a smooth-talking and incompetent building manager rings far too true.