Jennie Kermode’s Truth and Lies
A missing girl, a worried family, and a series of small, unsettling revelations that ultimately flip everything you thought you knew on its head. This is the premise of The Dark Gets In, a film that has landed its UK premiere at Frightfest.
What sets this project apart is its masterful blending of genres. It operates as a genre thriller while cleverly masquerading itself as a true crime documentary, expertly luring audiences into a world where the lines between fact and fiction blur into something far more sinister.
Meeting director Sean Hogan, I asked him about the creative journey behind such a distinctive film. He shared a fascinating insight into the chaotic history of its creation. “It was something the producers were very intent on,” Hogan explained. “The film was born out of the ashes of another project we were going to do, which was unfortunately killed by lockdown.”
Hogan revealed that the production faced significant hurdles. While the team was prepping, casting, and conducting camera tests, the onset of Covid and the subsequent lockdown effectively halted the work. This forced a pause, creating a unique, delayed narrative arc.
The film’s eventual realization involved a reunion of the production team. The producers, who have been friends for three decades, were able to regroup and bring the project back to life once the lockdown lifted, ensuring that the final product retained its raw, undeniable impact.
This story of a film born from disruption and reconstruction adds an extra layer of depth to the unsettling narrative. It demonstrates how constraints, even those imposed by global events, can sometimes be the catalyst for the most compelling storytelling.
Now premiering at Frightfest, The Dark Gets In offers viewers a deeply engaging experience, proving that sometimes, the most chilling truths are found not in what we see, but in how we piece together the shadows.
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