THE DARKLING

Strange rumors circulate about the eccentric billionaire Bruno Rubin (F. Murray Abraham), talk of the occult, strange acquaintances... but Jeff, a talented mechanic, doesn't care at all. He accepts Rubin's offer to restore vintage cars that have physically been part of history, such as the one in which James Dean died. For Jeff, it's a golden opportunity, with a wife and daughter to support, and he accepts the job. The billionaire fascinates him with his world of luxury and transgression, then asks him to alter some serial numbers of a car, so he can pass it off as something it's not: a historic car of immense value and make millions. The temptation is too strong, Jeff accepts, and the gates of hell open. It turns out that Rubin is practically a willing slave to a creature, the Darkling, a sort of Djinn, a genie of the lamp, but also a demon with the features of a newborn. The Darkling needs a new keeper, he wants Jeff, but this pact will have a price too high to pay for Jeff, his family, and Rubin himself. At first glance, this film, produced only for the home video circuit, has the characteristics of a Stephen King story, all the peculiarities are present, in fact, it's strange not to see at the end of the credits the usual mention "based on a story by...", but during the viewing we realize that it's precisely the master's touch that's missing, because "The Darkling" is nothing more than yet another retelling of Faust and the literary pact with the devil, this time in an Eastern flavor, a characteristic due to the signature of director Po-Chih Leong. The film mainly fails in terms of special effects, as, although visibly softened almost to the point of making it a family product, it is still a horror film, but we hardly notice it during the viewing: a couple of scenes with a low gore level and the Darkling, a creature much less unsettling than his potentialities. Bravo, nothing to say, F. Murray Abraham, luciferine and fascinating as Rubin; the rest of the cast is too clean, actors too good-looking and characteristically unimpactful for a too polished direction The story unfolds between predictable situations, but remains narratively fluid, without major slowdowns, a greater negative characterization of the creature and the addition of some terrifying hallucinations instead of the shadow games used by the Darkling, to fascinate/intimidate his followers, would have given some more chills. Let's say it's enjoyable like a good episode of "Tales from the crypt" or "The outer limits", but nothing more. Is it then worth the cost of a rental? Yes, provided you keep in mind all the precautions mentioned earlier, for purchase it's better to invest in something more impactful and that leaves some trace after viewing.