“I Will Follow You into the Dark” Movie Review

Written & Directed by Mark Edwin Robinson

Starring: Mischa Barton, Ryan Eggold, and Leah Pipes

A woman reeling from the death of her parents becomes attached to an alluring man whose sudden disappearance sends her and her friends into a haunted high-rise to find him

Some spoilers

This is one of those films that piqued my interest immediately. A supernatural tale of loss and loneliness is great if you’re home alone with the guts to turn the lights out. I Will Follow You into the Dark is a little more romantic than my usual picks, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means. Sophia (Barton) is a photographer that’s dealing with the loss of her father a mere six months after losing her mother. She gives a damning eulogy about the fleeting nature of life, even claiming there is no afterlife, and any god is welcome to prove their existence. Crushed and lonely, Sophia’s life is empty and meaningless. Then she meets Adam (Eggold) and her life changes in every conceivable way. Adam lives on the 21st floor of a condo that features daily paranormal tours. He, of course, discovered that after he moved in. Sophia has a hyper-sensitive fear of heights, so you can see the trauma leering around the corner.

I think the plot was a little rushed, but the time Robinson spent developing the earnest relationship between Sophia and Adam was perfect. Only on his second feature film, Robinson has great directorial flair, proving skilled at complex emotional works. The visually appealing art direction and cinematography compliments the somber and often times terrifying ghost story.There’s a scene or two that could have been omitted or rewritten, one dealing with a potentially sentient record player. Despite the moment or two of ham-fisted writing, the rest of the film has an eerie and almost proprietary feel to it.

Horror movies are easy to typecast, and you’re probably thinking this is too evil for Twilight fans, but laughable to fans of R rated horror. While surely popular with teens and date nights, this is a solid ghost story meets haunted house entry with a host of themes lurking within the story. Give it a shot.

In theaters October 11, available now on DVD. Follow them on Facebook!