Down a Dark Hall is a 2018 horror film about a new student at an exclusive boarding School who confronts the institution’s supernatural occurrences and dark powers of its headmistress.
We’re not exactly swimming in new waters with Rodrigo Cortés‘ latest, a dark fantasy that isn’t exactly going for realism, instead embracing its fairy tale roots with some old standards, even as it explores a few twists along the way. While it’s stuffed with archetypes (probably purposefully so), and sticks to the familiar, it’s nonetheless a moody, well-made bit of gothic horror that does what it intends.
Troublemaker Katherine ‘Kit’ Gordy (AnnaSophia Robb) is a teenage wrecking ball, constantly in and out of offices that deem her a dead end (she is recently accused of trying to burn down her school). Desperate for help, her parents send her to the mysterious Blackwood Academy boarding school, where she is joined by four other teenage girls, the only students in the entire building. They are met by the Headmistress Madame Duret (Uma Thurman), who assures them that while they are all very bad girls, they have been specifically selected to attend because each is very special. They just don’t know it yet. As time passes and the girls begin to blossom under rigid instruction, there is deeper dread hiding in the shadows, Kit suspecting that all is not as it seems. Now the girls must come together to make it through to graduation.
What’s easily most appealing in Cortés’ film is its tense immersion, the movie from its start dragging us right into his off-colored world with great effect. There is a sinister sense of madness soaked into the corners, especially in its first hour while it slowly puts its pieces on the table. Creepy and old boarding schools in movies are not an uncommon pair, the two seemingly made for each other, something Cortés makes no effort to shy from, and as such the noble building interiors home play host to all kinds of darkening horrors.
However, no matter the terrific atmosphere, a movie like this survives only by its cast, and for the most part, the young ensemble do what they can with the trope-ish characters. Robb holds things together fairly well while the others all fall into line with their mostly formulaic personalities, from a nerdy wallflower to an obnoxious bully. Thurman herself cuts an impressive figure though with her short dark hair and stiffly contoured dresses. She looks down her nose and delivers all sorts of delicious menace. It might be an old hat but she wears it well.
There’s plenty of good suspense throughout Down a Dark Hall, and a surprisingly engaging mystery wrapped up in all the been-there-done-that, with an effective score and even a few well-earned jumps scares. Still, it’s not at all trying to be anything innovative, clinging a little too closely to the old song and dance, but for newcomers to the genre, and maybe some fans looking for some creepy good times, this slow cooker might answer the call. Worth a look.