Forgotten Film Friday - The Dark Room (1982)
How far can one be willing to go for their obsession? Find out on this week's Forgotten Film Friday.
What is Forgotten Film Friday? Well, I'm taking a look at a film that seems to have been forgotten by film watchers. Does this mean it’s hard to find or unavailable? No, but most movie fans seem to have lost track of it. Here, I’ll point them in the direction of what I thought about them when I did end up finding them.
Plot: A young photographer finds out his overbearing father is having an affair. He then becomes obsessed with besting his father in different ways while also integrating himself into the woman's life. While stalking the couple, he falls into schemes of blackmail and voyeurism.
Review: Ozploitation films (low-budget films from Australia in the 1970s-80s) are always interesting to watch. Sometimes, they go for completely bonkers tropes like Mad Max or the subtle descent into madness with films like Long Weekend and The Next Of Kin. The Dark Room takes a more slow-burn approach as a lot of the ominous tone of the film doesn't pay off until the last fifteen minutes of the movie. This could be a problem for more modern audiences, as I found myself starting to wander until about halfway into it.
We see a lot of our main character's home life. He is an art school student who his dad doesn't take very seriously. At one point, the dad tells him that he is going to forget this art school nonsense and go to a real university next year to get himself on the right track to succeed in life. It's even hinted at that he has talked to some of his real estate friends to offer Michael a real job.
After Michael discovers his father's affair, he quickly gets a job at a local dress shop to get closer to the woman his dad is sleeping with. Nicky is an aspiring actress who wants to get some new photos of herself taken. Michael offers his services, and he begins to find his obsession with Nicky growing. Now, he might actually be falling in love with her.
This, of course, complicates the whole situation. Anything to do with getting back at his father becomes second to actually spending time with Nicky and trying to get her to fall in love with him. With her being completely oblivious to the fact that she is dealing with a father and son, she starts to become torn on what to do until Michael's father tells her he is leaving his wife.
It's around this point that the movie starts to switch, and we can see Michael start to unravel. The movie is listed as a thriller on IMDB, and I was wondering why, as nothing really dark had happened yet. There are some familial issues that could have been seen as more taboo in the 1980s that might lend to a darker tone, but nothing that seemed all that thrilling. Once it kicks into gear, it does earn that classification, although still tame compared to other Australian films coming out around this time.
The acting is pretty good across the board. Svet Kovich can sometimes turn a bit whiny, but it does work with the art school student aspect of the character. He plays it up as a young man who is wondering why his father can get what he wants but he can't. It lends to the relationship between the two characters and adds more to the performance, whereas if it was isolated on its own, some might think that it was a bad job. I quite liked it.
Alan Cassell, as the father, does a great job. He is kind of a smarmy asshole through most of it but is able to switch gears and become more sympathetic by the end of the film. Why can't he just let his son be happy with art school? It's easy to hate him for cheating on his wife and being a jerk to his son, but when things really take a turn you do see that he regrets that his actions are what has led them to this point.
The woman stuck in the middle is played by Anna Jemison, and she is good. At times, it may seem she is a little too upbeat, but since she is oblivious to what is actually happening, it is easy to see why both men would be in love with her. Once the darkness shows up on her doorstep, she quickly sees the danger she has gotten into and acts accordingly. One day, you're a hopeful actress, and the next, you're stuck between a warring father and son. By the end, you're hoping she makes it out ok, but understand the amount of trauma she went through is going to change her life forever.
I think the film will work for someone who doesn't mind a slow-burn take on a thriller. If you're more in the mood for a quick slasher type of story, then you will be disappointed. Give it a chance when you're in the mood for such a movie. I think it will work out for you.
Watch It Forget It
But don't take my word for it. It's currently up for free on YouTube so give it a watch. Sadly, the film went direct to video in Australia and has yet to make it onto DVD or Blu-ray.