Spirits in the Dark is a 2019 horror film about a lonely widower who finds a mysterious video on his computer that leads him to an abandoned town occupied by an ominous entity.
You might not be familiar with a thing called ‘urban exploration,’ but for a growing number, it’s an obsession, with websites and YouTube channels dedicated entirely to it. What is ‘it’? Well, it’s just what it sounds like, the hobby of entering and scrounging around abandoned homes, buildings, resorts, factories, schools, whatever, typically filming it for others to watch. There’s an inherent creepiness to the whole thing, to which many who produce the films lean heavily into, leaving many believing these places are haunted. Spoiler. They aren’t.
Such is part of the premise for a new independent feature from filmmaker József Gallai called Spirits in the Dark. It tells of a young man named Gil Spencer (played by Gallai) who, along with his wife Stephanie (a briefly seen Beáta Boldog), have taken to seeking out and exploring property near their hometown. Or at least used to. She has since died, hints of how glimpsed briefly at the start. Lonely and depressed, he one day receives a video on his computer, the images from a neighboring abandoned town. In one room of one building, the footage reveals something troubling, a locket that once belonged to Stephanie. And even more worrisome, a ghostly figure in the doorway. Gil heads out to investigate and discovers things are not all as they seem.
Gallai is pretty much the only person we see on camera, a purposeful choice that leaves much of the film POV through the lens of his handheld camera, giving the experience a sort of found footage quality. We’re triggered by such techniques to feel a little wary, these now the cornerstone to an entire industry. As such, he walks us through dozens upon dozens of poorly lit halls and rooms, all strewn with broken bricks and shattered glass, empty of furniture yet packed with jumpscare potential.
In fact, well more than two-thirds of the movie (it’s only 70 minutes long) is just that, us slogging through concrete catacombs with Gil occasionally commenting on what he finds. And what does he find? Well, some scattered teeth, a plastic mask, a few loose fingers. Oh, and a ghost. Is it scary? Um, yeah. It’s kind of built into the style, so sure, for those prone to jump at things that emerge from the dark, yes.
The thing is, it’s not all that original and it doesn’t do much to innovate on a formula that has long proven to work. There’s a small mystery at the heart of it, with Gil struggling to figure out what it all means, though Gallai’s narration is too flat and lifeless to really give what he’s saying any weight.
That said, some will no doubt appreciate the minimalism, and honestly, there is some curiosity in trying to decipher just exactly what is going on and why. It lacks greater punch in delivering all of that but for fans of indie horror (though I truly heistate using that description, it more of a drama) and especially urban explorers, this will surely scratch an itch. Gallai has a keen eye when he’s not walking up and down narrow halls, a few moments outside these decrepit buildings handled very well. A deeply sincere effort, Spirits in the Dark releases soon.