Who's afraid of the dark? Well, the entire cast of "Darkness Falls" certainly are. Hiding in the light, surrounded by lamps, lanterns and high-powered torches, Kyle (Chaney Kley) has spent the last 20 years making sure that he never goes anywhere without having a lightbulb to hand.
Why? Because when he was a kid he saw the Tooth Fairy, who killed his mother and left him a gibbering, psychotic wreck.
When Kyle's contacted by childhood sweetheart Caitlin (Buffy the Vampire Slayer regular Emma Caulfield), he discovers he's not the only one afraid of the dark. Caitlin's nine-year-old brother Michael (Lee Cormie) is convinced that the Tooth Fairy's going to get him, too. Looks like Kyle will have to face his nemesis once and for all...
You know where you are when a horror movie has the Tooth Fairy as its monster. This is a self-consciously silly, completely disposable multiplex movie that does its best to deliver its fair share of chills while struggling to keep a straight face.
While the back-story about the Tooth Fairy's origins may not make the slightest bit of sense, there are plenty of nice touches - like the hicksville sheriff who arrests Kyle and rifles through his stash of anti-psychotic drugs, dryly exclaiming, "Heck, this one I can't even pronounce," or the obvious winks at the audience ("All this over a f* tooth" exclaims the lead cop as things spiral out of control).
Just like Robert Harmon's "They", "Darkness Falls" is another Hollywood studio attempt to come up with an original horror flick that's not a remake, an Asian rip-off, or a jokey teen slasher.
It's a failure, but it's nice to know someone cares enough to bother trying. And at least it's more fun than a trip to the dentist.
Darkness Falls (2003)
