It’s surprising how out of left field Alex Herron’s “Dark Windows” has come, as it’s a movie that sneaks up on you but leaves you exhausted by the time the credits roll. “Dark Windows” is one of the best horror movies of 2023 but it’s also one of the most depressing movies I’ve seen in years. It’s a movie that pulls no punches and will leave you wrecked with despair and thinking about what you’ve just seen for a while. I was very certain that I knew what was going on during “Dark Windows,” but then writer Wolf Kraft subverted all of my expectations and really sent a cold chill up my back.
After a horrible tragedy, a trio of grieving friends takes a trip to an isolated summerhouse in the countryside to grieve and mourn. What starts as a peaceful getaway turns into a horrific nightmare when a masked man begins to terrorize them in the most gruesome ways. “Dark Windows” is about the aforementioned, but it’s also about what these characters do to not only justify the events that occur before the film, but afterward, too. Kraft leaves the audience with a sense of uncertainty and this underlying after taste that is just pure disgust. I ultimately rooted for the characters that are explored in “Dark Windows” but I also wanted to see how the events would ultimately play out for them.
And then when Kraft allows us to fully wrap our heads around what has actually happened to set these events in motion, its pretty eye opening, I’ll admit. “Dark Windows” is not really a slasher movie but more of a horror drama about three people consumed with grief and self-blame. They blame each other, they blame themselves, and yet they’re also very much concerned with finding a reason to forgive themselves, too. In the process, you can pretty much relate to how the second half of the film unfolds and why the fates dealt are so much more merciful than what’s shown before us. I’m trying very hard to be cryptic as I want audiences to go in to “Dark Windows” without knowing much.
Suffice to say Alex Herrot’s beautifully directed film is a stern and relentless morality tale that deals heavily in the effect that bullying can have on people, and the fall out that can result from our actions. Granted, “Dark Windows” does take a lot of time to build up to the ultimate explosive climax, but the pacing is deliberate as writer Kraft meticulously explores the psychology and actions of these three characters, and then forces us to take a deeper second look. “Dark Windows” is just a stellar horror drama (the collective performances by the entire cast are also just top notch). It’s one that just deals a hell of a gut punch that will force the audience to examine what they’ve experienced.
In Select Theaters and On Demand on August 18th.