Magnolia Pictures
Please check local listings for screenings
As I kick off October with some more horror films to view at night, Dave Boyle’s latest film, Never After Dark, tries its best to show that this writer/director has an overwhelming interest in the supernatural side of Japan. Although he isn’t of Asian or Japanese ancestry, his movies offer his interpretation rather than follow what’s established. The main character is not an onmyoji. There is no Western equivalent to the diverse skills required to become such a person. In some ways, a person with the skills of a priest, diviner and seer can be labelled as such.
With his latest, once that light dims, secrets will come crawling out of nowhere. In this film’s case, it’s about Airi (Moeka Hoshi), a medium trying to keep those skeletons in her own closet locked up. She’s not a certified one and is self-professed after discovering she can see her dead sister in mirrors. And to have that access around while going out to solve other people’s problems can be helpful and dangerous. When she’s a magnet for the deceased, anyone can come calling.
When she’s hired by the owner of a fancy, out-of-the-way hotel to clear out those ghosts, well…
Teiko (Tae Kimura) and her son, Gunji (Kento Kaku), are the caretakers of this establishment, and both sides have a short list of “demands.” I’m amused and have to know who will get the last laugh. The medium insists on being alone and doesn’t want intruders while she does her thing. I have to wonder why. Maybe she’s afraid of what the spirit of her sister can do. And since Miku (Kurumi Inagaki) is only visible through mirrors, having broken shards strewn about can be bad.
And in some ways, this film takes a few ideas from the Insidious films, where Elise (the medium-turned-ghost) is more than a guide to the other side.
Although I couldn’t help but be reminded of other works like The Shining, Magic Cop and even The Frighteners, that’s where the “originality” seems to fall short. The nods to other works are noticeable. And that long hallway shot? I felt a bit nervous, since the cinematographer Patrick Ouziel knows when to use Dutch angles effectively. And as for the building design, oh boy! You have to see this film and hope you’ll never reside in a similar abode.
And what unfolds is more of a slow burn. This thriller hits its mark when Airi finds an Altoids-shaped tin box filled with teeth. They may be what’s left of the deceased, but learning how they were extracted is much more cringe-worthy. I’ll stop here because the true terror lies elsewhere. Even I got misdirected and didn’t mind being taken down the wrong rabbit hole.
Yes, there are elements of a ghost story in this film, but there’s also a crime drama going on too! Whether this medium can turn into a psychic detective depends on what evidence she finds and whether it can be submitted to court. As Never After Dark builds towards the reason for its title, the revelation feels well-earned.
Amongst some parapsychologists, it’s considered best to take care of the haunts during daylight rather than at night. At night, the veil is said to be at its thinnest; if helping the dead can be done during the day, it’s safer. As for what’s real and imagined, Boyle even makes me second-guess where the events took place. While the narrative clearly places some adventures in the psychic realm, Airi’s physical body remains vulnerable. Without anyone to watch over her, she can easily be another victim!
That’s because every occultist will say it’s best to have your physical body protected when your astral self is travelling in the aether. And if some of the haunts are the work of someone deranged, hiding out and crawling out of the woodwork, the threat extends beyond the psychic realm! Even the clients’ return to take a peek at what she’s doing stems from their concern that she may be a charlatan. This psychic is convinced there’s something going on, but is ill-prepared for what she discovers!
Boyle has presented more than just another haunted house story. All I can say is: you’re doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t. Airi can’t decide which path to follow, and I’m not spoiling that choice. After all, the best tales show who’s willing to accept the problem and deal with it head-on.
3½ stars out of 5
Never After Dark Movie Trailer
