It’s been almost 16 months since the last time I saw a Manic Films feature! This couldn’t have come at a better time. I was basically going through withdrawals.
A Dark Place Inside is written and directed by Mike O’Mahony. The film stars Chris Dalbey and James Costa with featured appearances from Carmela Hayslett, Julie Ann Hamolko, Rob Dimension, Matt Garafalo, Kieran Boyle, Lauren Ojeda, and Tiffany Loretta Carroll.
In the past Mike O’Mahony has released three other feature films: Deadly Detour, Sloppy the Psychotic, and I.B.S. The latter two were definitely more horror-comedy than straight up horror. While I did enjoy them, they were a bit silly in nature. A Dark Place Inside is Mike O’s first genuinely horrific feature since Deadly Detour in 2011 and I’m happy to see him back with such a serious tone. Things are very straight forward here without all the room for shtick and shock factor. Even the subplot – why is Andy so violent and deranged – is mentally taxing to the viewer and not something that can be laughed at. I’m glad to see Mike step out of that horror-comedy comfort zone as a director and tackle a much harder genre of film and a much more serious style of filmmaking.
Mike is also known for his particularly bizarre and cringe-worthy way of killing off characters. When I think about his previous kills, drowning a homeless man in pee and massacring a bus of handicap children always come to mind first. A Dark Place Inside is very gory, let me say that first. I don’t think the movie goes more than seven minutes at a time without blood being tossed around. So, I know all you gore hounds will get a real kick out of that. The deaths in A Dark Place Inside aren’t as inventive as usual, though, but they’re still horrific none the less. Lots of body parts being cut away with saws and even a scene where the main character Andy (played by Chris Dalbey) pulls the teeth one by one from his victims’ mouth. Again, with a more serious horror feature the gore factor is a lot different here but will please all the viewers in terms of quantity. And the effects look fantastic, too!
When asked about my opinion before doing this review, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “Did you get new equipment?” I’ve always been a fan of Maniac Films and the work it puts out since the beginning. The company and O’Mahony always make films for small budgets that are very professional looking from an independent standpoint. A Dark Place Inside takes it up a notch with picture quality and I was very impressed. I’ve always recognized Mike O’s worth as a director and I think people will start to do the same now that he has a couple new cameras and equipment to add to his arsenal.
My only problem with A Dark Place Inside is the sometimes lack of character development/plot progression. As a viewer I learned what I needed to learn through the flashback scenes, but other than that it’s kind of a wash, rinse, repeat cycle with minor differences each time. Andy goes to work, Andy leaves work, Andy finds a victim, Andy bla bla bla… I was hoping for a little more when it came to the development of Andy’s character and how the story was moving forward. Narrowly missing exposure, finding a woman he ultimately liked even if for a brief period, or even something as finding out his female victim was really a tranny would have certainly spruced up the viewing a bit.
I’m going to give A Dark Place Inside a 7.2 rating and congratulate Mike O’Mahony on another job well done.
