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Spain, United States · 2018
Rated PG-13 · 1h 36m
Director Rodrigo Cortés
Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Uma Thurman, Isabelle Fuhrman, Victoria Moroles
Genre Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
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Kit, a troubled girl, is sent to Blackwood boarding school, where she discovers that only four other female students have been admitted to learn the four pillars of knowledge under the ominous wing of the mysterious headmistress Madame Duret. When all the girls begin to change, Kit investigates the cause of these mysterious changes.
Somehow, neither the plentiful creaky floorboards that the story rests on nor Thurman’s spot-on, French-accented coolness manages to send shivers down the audience’s spine through this allegorical and bitterly timeless tale of female exploitation.
This is a decent modern Gothic thriller handled with sufficient style and a straight face by genre ace Cortés. His efforts, and strong performances by the young female leads, make for a movie that’s fairly strong meat by juvenile fantasy standards, if probably a tad wimpy for horror-fan tastes.
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
Its elegant subtlety feels refreshing in this era of over-the-top horror films.
Los Angeles Times by Kimber Myers
Based on Lois Duncan’s gothic young adult novel, Down a Dark Hall is entry-level horror for teens. The scares might not satisfy those old enough to vote, but it should provide mild chills for its target audience.
Arizona Republic by Randy Cordova
It's a smart, well-crafted tale that is thoroughly contemporary, yet somewhat old-school in that it doesn't go for cheap shocks. Instead, the emphasis is on mood, atmosphere and some sharply etched characterizations.
Chicago Sun-Times by Richard Roeper
Down a Dark Hall eventually goes Down a Convoluted Tunnel, with some admittedly creepy but also just plain crazy sequences that play like “Eyes Wide Shut” meets “The Shining.”
Thurman, oily accent dripping with menace, is no Disney villain here. She’s real world dangerous, vulpine, callous, keeping supernatural secret threats from her pupils.
Village Voice by Tatiana Craine
Ultimately, Down a Dark Hall falls victim to familiar teen horror tropes: a brooding lead with a heart of gold, predictable jump scares, wincingly bad romantic tension, and obvious villains.
The New York Times by Teo Bugbee
With each new element, Down a Dark Hall reveals itself, with improbable delight, to be genuinely strange — a movie in which viewers can pick their own pleasure, no two spectators having exactly the same experience.
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