Synopsis
Out Of Darkness is a horror-survival film released in 2024 from a British studio and directed by Andrew Cumming in his debut feature film. The film is set 45,000 years ago in the Upper Paleolithic period. It captures an atmosphere that’s suspenseful and deeply primal, following a group of early humans as they embark on a perilous journey into uncharted territory while searching for a new home.
The film begins with a sequence featuring a small group of six early Homo Sapiens, who, after traversing a large water body, are now set to land on the shores of an unearthed continent. The group is made up of Adem, a fierce leader of the group; Ave, his womb-bearing wife; Geirr, his younger sibling; Heron, his young son; and Beyah, a teenager adopted into the group. Odal the elder is also present, who, despite his age-old wisdom, is often met with scorn from the younger generation for his traditional views.
More than strength, the hostile landscape that must be traversed and survived requires unity, trust, and instinct. Group polarization occurs swiftly when they unearth the decaying mammoth remains. Heron’s disappearance during the night caps off their worst nightmares coming to life. Heron is seemingly abducted by an enigmatic beast, launching the group into a frantic search through the ancient forest and across perilous landscapes.
As these changes evolve, the group comes to the tragic realization that they are not solo survivors of this drastic transformation — two individuals, a male and female Neanderthal, become aware of their presence. Neanderthals who withstand transformation — not devoid of reasoning but stubborn to yield. With the balance of power shifting, they too become the final survivors in a foreign world dominated by thoughtful and intelligent creatures. Mysterious depths of the forest turn familiar sights into fatal targets. With every angle watched, the atmosphere morphs into the battlefield.
Factions burgeon within the group, causing exacerbated conflict. Odal, interpreting the group’s misfortunes as divine punishment, begins to assert that Beyah, the societal scapegoat, is causing their misery. The increasing radicalization compels deaf ears to stop succumbing to voice and reason. Instead, beyah turns the odyssey into a journey full of primitive beliefs, condoning bloodshed. Indeed, the zenith of chaos occurs within the congregation.
In a pivotal scene, Beyah breaks from the group in an attempt to find the truth and save Heron. Her journey takes her to the cave of the Neanderthals where she encounters the Neanderthal female in a fight to survive. The climax of the confrontation is not simply a clash of good and evil; it is a sorrowful meeting of two species destined to die.
Beyah emerges from this battle changed forever, both physically and emotionally. When she rejoins the group, she is a tempered fighter bearing the weight of heavy experiences. The film ends with sweeping views of the harsh wilderness, suggesting that this particular tale has reached a conclusion, but the anguish of humanity is just commencing.
Cast & Crew
Safia Oakley-Green as Beyah: The group’s lone outsider, a young woman, love. Determined and resourceful, Beyah showcases the best acting performance in the film as the pivot of its emotion, exhibiting both tenderness and power. Oakley-Green gained notable praise from critics for her performance and won the British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance.
Chuku Modu plays Adem: The group’s leader and chief protector, Adem is devoted to safeguarding his family and maneuvering the group through perilous regions. Modu captures the complexity of a character that has to balance a sense of duty alongside despair.
Kit Young as Geirr: Geirr, Adem’s younger brother, is brave but hot-headed, often getting into conflict with the rest of the group. His character embodies the paradox of leadership, loyalty, and personal survival.
Iola Evans as Ave: This character is fiercely protective and nurturing, although extremely pregnant during the journey. While Ave is physically restricted, her emotional strength allows her to remain fiercely protective.
Luna Mwezi as Heron: The young boy whose unsettling abduction serves as the initial event that sets off the group’s dangerous journey. Heron’s disappearance serves as a focal point to much of the action and intrigue that lies beneath the surface.
Arno Lüning as Odal: The group’s elder who adds a mystical dimension to the narrative through his rituals and perception of spirituality. Odal helps demonstrate early human culture, mythology, and superstition.
Director: Andrew Cumming
Screenwriter: Ruth Greenberg
Cinematography: Ben Fordesman
Music Composer: Adam Janota Bzowski
Producers: Oliver Kassman, Cora Lee
Production Companies: Animal Kingdom, Escape Plan, Selkie Productions
Distributor: Signature Entertainment (UK), Bleecker Street (US)
IMDb Ratings and Critical Reception
Categories: Documentaries, Short Films, Classics
The reception from critics and audiences regarding “Out of Darkness” has been mostly positive, according to different sources. The film continues to be appreciated for its unique premise, bold narrative techniques, and vivid scene construction. Currently, according to estimates, the film is predicted to have an IMDB rating between 6.5 and 7.0 by early 2025, which is considered a good rating for an arthouse horror-survival film that is low-budget and not widely marketed.
Critics noted the film’s appreciation for raw, gritty realism due to its capturing the hardships faced by people living in remote areas and the use of an entirely fictional language, Tola, made up by the writer for the film. This decision raises audience immersion by requiring viewers to rely solely on non-verbal modes of communication which harkens back to the infancy of human society, where the very first forms of communication were gestures.
Unlike everything else, the visuals of the film have clean-cut artistry and an almost eerie quality. The Scottish Highlands are filmed in breath-taking bleakness, as if they are beautiful yet threatening at the same time. Majestic landscapes with captivating descriptions create a dream — or nightmare harboring a sense of dread. Hewn with Adam Janota Bzowski’s haunting score along with the cinematographer’s work, the result is near unimaginable.
Out of Darkness is unique in how many genres it combines and bends. The film starts off pretentiously marketed as a survival thriller but soon reveals its psychological horror and anthropological drama traits. It provokes questions that are existential like what does it mean to be human and where is the thin division between civilization and savagery. Along with physical threats, the film philosophically tackles the threat of extinction, the unknown, and even one’s self.
Despite its slow pace, the film offers so much in terms of rich psychological and emotional complexity towards the end. Instead of portraying a mere fight for survival, Out of Darkness tells the story of humanity’s progression, accompanied by the violence ingrained in history.
Conclusion
Out of Darkness remains striking to behold and ambitious in its storytelling. It surely stands out in the horror-thriller subgenre. By dragging viewers back to prehistoric times and removing all modern luxuries, the film crafts a story that feels both small and large in scope. Its powerful performances, particularly that of Safia Oakley-Green, its chilling atmosphere, and the story’s roots in the dawn of humanity create one of the most profound cinematic experiences this world has to offer.
This is not simply a tale of survival; in fact, it is also a story of struggle with identity, primal fear, and the opposing yet intrinsic need to belong, even in such savage times.
Watch free movies on Fmovies