Dark Water

I had been waiting to see this film longer than any other in recent years. Back in September of 2004, I first saw the movie trailer before the film SAW and it was one of the creepiest series of vignettes I had seen on the silver screen. As such, I went with high hopes to the movie on July 9 2005 at 4:30pm to the Old Capitol Mall cinema.

With a beautiful title in a genre I love (horror), the exceptional trailer and add the film is based off a Japanese horror picture by Hideo Nakata who also inspired The Ring, this film seemed destined to generate a very good and scary ride. How utterly far from the mark this one ends up being.

Jennifer Connelly plays Dahlia, a recently divorced mother trying to find an apartment for her and her young daughter, Ceci, played by Ariel Gade. The intial parts of Dark Water do well to build the characters and explain the circumstances that will come into play. We learn about New York City housing and schooling, about how finding a good apartment can mean a lot to a young mother with a limited income. The film's bleakness throughout seeps into our very pores, watering down our feelings and eventually our hopes for the story to improve along with it. Nothing is very frightening, just a few melodramatic and depressive scenes piling one upon the other. At the end, I wouldn't have minded popping some antidepressant pills myself.

Boasting no memorable moments, Dark Water profoundly disappoints, earning the coveted crummy rating. Spend your time elsewhere if you would like to feel any chills--this film won't leave you soaking wet with fear, just with a desire to leave after the first 30 minutes.

Please feel free to comment on this review or on the movie itself at the forum thread devoted to it at this location.