Horror is a genre that is obsessed with rules, both spoken and unspoken. The ghost on the mysterious VHS tape will only kill after seven days. The vampire must always avoid sunlight, garlic and crosses. The black couple will split from the group first, drawing the ire of the masked slasher.
Lights Out presents the simplest set of rules ever seen in a horror film, and arguably cribs them from every other tale of terror: keep the lights on and the monster keeps away. That’s it. It’s a basic premise, one that drove a short film so excellent, horror master James Wan (Saw, The Conjuring) produced it for a full feature. While such a simple idea could’ve been dragged out into a thoughtless experience, director David F. Sandberg, in his first film, accomplishes exactly the opposite. Lights Out is smart, subtle and one of the year’s horror highs.
The film follows Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) and her young brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) who are attempting to remedy their mentally unstable mother. Even worse is a mysterious figure who appears only in shadow, identifying themselves only with solemn whispers and ceaseless scratching on the walls. Realizing that light is the one thing keeping the murderous spirit at bay, Rebecca and Martin fight to survive the long dark night.
What makes Lights Out stand apart from most horror pictures is the fact that every character immediately understands — and obeys — the basic rules of their situation. Rather than filling the screen with unlikable walking tropes that pratfall into an easily avoidable death, the characters of Lights Out feel effortlessly human. Even with occasionally stiff dialogue, everyone makes smart choices that increase the stakes. Surviving the shadow seems like a fair fight, rather than a series of jump scares.
The original Lights Out short saw viral acclaim, particularly for the simple visual trick of a shadowy figure that moves only between flashes of light. With a full 90 minutes to play with, Sandberg finds countless ways to play with this concept — new light sources, contexts and angles. It’s a film of fiercely creative ideas, all wonderfully shot. This movie demands to be seen in the pitch black of a theater, with a soundsystem that puts every paranoia-inducing noise right behind you.
Sometimes, a horror flick doesn’t need to innovate. As great as a major reinvention can be, sometimes the most basic ideas still have juice. There’s no phobia more primal than a fear of the dark, and no horror film this year more delightfully simplistic as Lights Out.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter @ChrisBerg25