Directors Peter Horn and Jared Marshall’s short science fiction horror film is, as the kids say: The shit. “Dark Times” is a rollicking and creepy gore fest that takes every advantage to be unique and original. Foregoing any opening and closing credits, “Dark Times” takes every single advantage of every second to tell a fun story that is just so damn thrilling to behold. As seen through the eyes of a hapless man, a group of workers from the Blue Skies Nuclear Power plant flee from a horrible explosion that is sending them running in to the woods as radioactive debris rains from the skies taking down survivors.
Little do they know that the explosion has also brought with it endless hordes of the walking dead who siege the fleeing helpers at every turn and mow down everyone in their paths with their insatiable hunger. Even worse, there’s a battle raging behind them with someone even more monstrous than the walking dead. Struggling to run from the dead and a group of rogue military soldiers who delight in murdering anyone in their paths, the worker falls victim to zombification and views the violent mayhem through the eyes of the walking dead.
Now becoming the enemy against groups of survivors, many of whom seem prepared for the onslaught of the dead, including one man who is anxious to drop dead heads with his golf club. Ending with a rather incredible final scene involving a stand off between the golfer and a utterly horrific creation of the nuclear plant, “Dark Times” demonstrates sheer storytelling brilliance in the end, and offers a new spin on the zombie lore. I could have seen two hours of this story, easily.It’s always nice to see a zombie movie approached from a different and unique angle, and “Dark Times” accomplishes that very need. It’s a balls to the wall short action horror film with a killer final scene. I wish there was a sequel.