A professional prostitute named Diana (Ilenia Pastorelli) has a great life in Italy with various well-paying clients who call for her services regularly. However, within the city lies a serial killer who is targeting prostitutes. One evening, as Diana bids farewell to one of her clients, she, too, is attacked by the unknown killer. Thankfully, she manages to drive away, but she is chased by the killer and suffers a brutal car accident leaving her blind in both eyes. The same accident kills a family, leaving a ten-year-old boy named Chen (Andrea Zhang) as the only survivor.
Now, with no vision, Diana must adapt to a new world of darkness while fearfully certain that the killer has unfinished business with her. She learns to look after herself despite her blindness, especially once she has a guide dog to keep by her side. Feeling bad for the harm she caused to the other family, Diana contacts Chin. Shortly after this contact, Chin escapes and reaches out to Diana, wanting to stay with her. Now Diana and Chin will work together to track down and reveal the face of the murderous killer roaming the streets of Italy.
Dark Glasses is a horror film with an added thriller aspect that begins strongly. Those who enjoy violent killings on-screen will certainly gain some joy here from the serial killer as each kill is quite bloody and violent. However, as the story progresses, the film becomes increasingly slow in its pace and storytelling, leaving me fairly eager for the film to conclude. Even with its short runtime, the feature feels far longer than necessary.
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]The soundtrack was an element that I found quite fun; however, at times, the audio track was either overbearing or too familiar. With fun retro vibes and an 80s synth track, anything relating to the music in this film strongly reminded me of the legendary John Carpenter’s compositions. The same could be said about any on-screen kills, which also strongly pushed John Carpenter and Halloween vibes. While there is a fun mystery surrounding the introduction of the film’s serial killer, I am disappointed to say the reveal is predictable, and the killer’s motives are extremely weak.
Overall, Dark Glasses starts quite strong. This fun yet familiar serial killer film promises excitement and mystery, but sadly becomes a slow-paced fizzle as the runtime rolls on. Everything about this film, especially the soundtrack, feels strongly inspired by the legendary horror icon John Carpenter. Even the style of on- screen kills feels familiar and carry a strong, Carpenter-retro vibe. The main reveals here are highly predictable, and the showdown is disappointing, offering poor justifications and weak reasoning. There’s an excellent concept here and a fun introduction, but sadly, in the end, there isn’t anything that will resonate as strongly with film lovers as I would have preferred.
5.3/10
4th October 2022
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
PODCASTS ARE AVAILABLE!
0 Comments