User reviews

Teenagers Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) have been best friends their whole lives, but when a gruesome accident leads to a cover-up, the secret drives a wedge between them and propels them down a rabbit hole of escalating paranoia and violence. Not to mention both friends are interested in the same girl (Elizabeth Cappuccino).

Viewers of a certain age and upbringing will latch on to this film almost immediately. This was life in the pre-Internet era, circa 1992, with scrambled pornography on television being the most exciting thing a teenage boy could hope for. Perhaps an older brother will have a sword or some other contraband to show off to your suburban friends and be a hero for a day.

Through this film, we also get a peak at the "nerd" or outcast world, not far removed from the group of kids featured on Netflix's "Stranger Things", if we add a few years. Having been a part of that crowd and that generation, the reviewer can confirm that conversations about a prosthetic "hand that cooks steaks" might have been entirely plausible. Interestingly, the outcast world (the reviewer again confirms) has its own tiers. There is more than one kind or level of unpopular, and as we see in "Super Dark Times", the annoying overweight kid is likely to be looked down upon, even by those already ostracized.

Without giving too much away, let us just say an unfortunate death haunts this small band of outsiders, but what really shows off the cleverness of the script is how they deal with it in different ways. Who will be able to handle the pain and guilt? Who will be eaten up inside? And as the warning signs tart adding up, will anyone notice that this is not all just going to blow over? The acting is top-notch and you have to give these kids credit for tackling such dark material and executing it flawlessly.

The direction is strong, and this really comes through later in the film as we start to feel the pacing gnaw at us (in a good way). There is an incredible use of suspense and tension as the film reaches its climax, and if you find yourself literally on the edge of your seat, you are not alone. The viewer ultimately winds up caring about these kids, and cannot even attempt to look away as things could become worse… or salvation swoops in. It could go either way – you just have to watch and see.

"Super Dark Times" screened on July 13, 2017 at the Fantasia International Film Festival (opening day). There are many strong films this year, as there are every year, but this film really sets the bar high for suspense and thrills. As the festival rolls on, other films will try – and possibly not succeed – in matching that bar.

Super Dark Times (2017):

While I was watching Super Dark Times,the one thing which really surprised me is that this one is work of a debutante director.The way the movie started and the atmosphere set clearly promised me a hell of a ride and almost succeeded in keeping that promise.

Plot:

Zach (Owen Phillips) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) are best friends growing up in a leafy Upstate New York suburb in the 1990s, where teenage life revolves around hanging out, looking for kicks, navigating first love and vying for popularity. When a traumatic incident drives a wedge between the previously inseparable pair, their youthful innocence abruptly vanishes.

My Review:

Every person's adolescent age is the most dangerous part of his life as it triggers dangerous feelings and emotions which decides his fate of the life.It is the age which involves us in lot of adventures which may stir lot of turns and lessons in our life.Super Dark Times showcases the scary proceedings in our lead roles adolescent life.

Director Kevin Phillips's debut feature looks a lot like Stranger Things-set in the 1990s, there are gorgeous shots of Super Dark Times' misfits riding their bikes around suburbia, but these coexist with stark, ominous images of long shadows and tall trees. Darkness lingers in every frame like a vulture waiting to swoop. Fun times grotesquely morph into horror in a matter of seconds: Four boys are playing with a sword in the woods, and then three boys are covering a body with crunchy autumn leaves.

Phillps and writers, Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski, steadily raise the tension as the film progresses, making for an unsettling watch as their situation continues to weigh on the young characters.Nailing to atmosphere and mood of 'Super Dark Times' is the key to the film's success because we've seen these tales of teenage mishaps and cover-ups plenty of times.. Here, we are swallowed whole by the film's aesthetics, which manage to always fit the picture and wrap us up in the film's world without ever being overbearing.

But what went wrong is the third-act of the film which is oddly paced and difficult to follow.Its like the maker desperately tried to confuse us and thrill us at the same time with lot of unexplained events and violence.It backfired.

Performances are amazing.Charlie Tahan (From Wayward Pines) is amazing and his character transition is surprising.Owen Campbell gave spine-chilling performance in the scene where he imagines having intercourse with Allison in woods.Elizabeth Cappucino is a show-stealer although her role is limited.

Technically Super Dark Times is amazing with stunning cinematography by ELi Born and haunting score by Ben Frost.We have to notice that all these persons are not widely known.

SO,Super Dark Times is an impressive haunting thriller which involves mostly debutante technicians but confused writing in its climax disappoints.

My rating 7/10

If there's another 2017 film that starts off really well and continues greatness until it loses all its momentum and potential and becomes a mess in its third act, then I haven't seen it. This film is an intriguing but realistic psychological drama/thriller for its first two acts and then decides to become a genre film instead. By doing so, it loses everything that made it interesting. Maybe in retrospect and on a possible rewatch I will think the third act is fine for what it is, but it's such a shame the turn the film makes. Still, it remains a worthy effort overall, with some fine performances from its cast and some effective imagery.

It's always impressive to see a young actor really shine, and the two best friends this movie centers around certainly deliver in their performances. Unfortunately, the ending leaves me wanting...more? Not necessarily, I don't have a problem with open ended stories, but the ending scene being about a character I didn't really connect with or care for was an odd choice. Maybe on a re-watch I'll catch some nuance that steers me in the direction of revelation with the ending scene...but is it really worth watching again? It certainly does capture the precell phone nineties teen vibes well, and there's a the surreal feeling of a town where we never see anyone else except the teens. It certainly speaks for the tunnel vision you have at the age.

I wish the set dressers would decorate my house for Christmas.

Worth watching overall.

This film gets points mostly for the execution of a familiar plot. Throughout the runtime all I could think about was how familiar the story is to other Teens gone bad films - especially MEAN CREEK, which I think is superior when it comes to heart. That being said, I don't think the objective of this film was to pull at your heartstrings the way that Mean Creek intended, but that's where the downfall lies in my opinion. The first act was nostalgic, hilarious, and I was really getting into the characters, then it devolved from there, delving into basic Slasher-Thriller territory. Still worth seeing though and it definitely has its moody moments and shots. The production and sound are fantastic, but I'm big on the story and to me it falls flat after the first act.

-Also, I'm not sure if I missed something, but what the hell was up with the intro with the deer? I mean it could be seen as foreshadowing I guess, but that scene could've been cut out if you ask me.

Saw this at the Rotterdam film festival 2017 (website: iffr.com). The synopsis on the festival website contained ample pointers to avoid this movie, for example "life revolves around vying for popularity, hanging out, falling in love and looking for kicks". Luckily there was only little attention for partying, courting, clothes, and more such, unlike other movies covering youngsters of high-school age. The real drama took some time to develop, but once becoming apparent it stayed in the forefront, and so should it be.

A bit problematic (for me) is that the finale went a bit too fast and too bloody for my taste, something that did not follow logically from what happened before. It seemed a bit over the top. On the other hand, a different ending was not easy to think of, as involving the police and the legal system would have ruined the story completely. Moreover, it would require bringing in the parents of our main protagonists, which usually does not bode well for the clarity of the drama. Anyway, unexpected turns of events came at a steady pace and without weak moments, one step after another. The role of the female college students was less cultivated, as if they were only background tapestry, or maybe serving as catalyst material to speed up developments but otherwise not really crucial for the outcome.

Unclear is the opening scene where a deer is found dead in the class room with a broken window. It took some time before the police entered, who started exchanging glances with each other, but I'm at a loss what it all meant.

From the final Q&A I learned a nice statement: "planting little seeds here and there is the essence of script writing". And also: Rhythm and pacing are important (it was a side answer to a question about the sound track, but even more applying to the screenplay).

Also from the Q&A: A serious attempt was made to give Josh more dimensions in his character. Same for the others, though they did not need it that much. All were nice young men without really bad habits, but only nice is not enough to keep our interest.

All in all, I was glad to have booked tickets for this movie, despite my fears that it was to become another coming-of-age story with too much time devoted on courting and partying. This time there were no problems along that line. It sustained a real focus on the central story and its pacing of subsequent developments. The audience awarded this movie a mediocre 73rd place (out of 172) with an average score of 3.905 *out of 5).

If you like an indie flavor & are a fan of films like River's Edge or Stand By Me then you should have some fun with this one.

The storytelling is rich and engaging with suspenseful paranoia & is accompanied by some shocking imagery. The characters are entertaining & well conceived so it matters to the viewer when events unfold around them.

I can't fault this film for anything but I settle on a 7 rating because like most true crime narratives it is forced to borrow from its influences, which seem to be called upon throughout.

A brilliant directorial debut by Kevin Philips. From the opening shot itself, the super dark mood is created in this film set in the mid-90s. A lot is communicated using visuals and incidents that aren't directly related to the main plot which solidifies the atmosphere of the film. Owen Campbell lives and breathes as Zach, even his inhaling and exhaling was so perfect for the character at each particular moment. But the third act was not a well-written part of the film where the characters act upon motivations that feel rushed without proper transition and ends up like a lot of other films.

What a totally enjoyable 'under the radar' film.

Tragic events well acted by the young cast, and a very believable scenario.

An unlucky accident just spirals and moves at exactly the right pace. Never too sensational. Never too gory. And you can't help but feel moved by the inevitability of the story.

Sharp. Succinct. Well acted. Well made. Great script. LOVED IT!

Every childhood has its own stories. And we get one here that incorporates a couple of things. It may seem to go one way and then swerves and goes somewhere else with it. So I'd say it is not as predictable as other movies in the same genre. It also tells you from the start that this isn't just a light fun affair.

So if you like a drama with really good child performers, this is one of the movies I'd recommend you to watch. Mistakes will be made and the consequences do grow out and mess up with other people. But it's also yourself who may have trouble getting over certain things happening. Add to that a romantic "side-story" and you have a really powerful movie (flawed as it still may be)

First off this is NOT a horror movie in any way. So I'm not sure why they have labeled it one. It's a dramatic thriller. The story was really good and I liked the era and setting it takes place in. But then towards the end it kind of loses me. It doesn't really wrap up anything with the individual characters and abruptly just ends. If there was some kind of a hidden meaning in there I didn't see it. Good movie but the ending just leaves you thinking but not in a good way.

Then Super Dark Times might have been it. Overall I enjoyed this film and I do recommend it. The performances of the young actors are well done;I especially enjoyed the performance of Amy Hargreaves (the attractive mother) who plays the mom as someone who is unaware of the exact situation her son has gotten himself into, but she is NOT your stereotypical naive and clueless parent that is so often portrayed in such films.

That said, the film is not without its faults. The opening scene which the director NEVER returns to makes absolutely NO SENSE in the context of this movie. Additionally, having been a high school geek myself (although that was back in the late 70s and early 80s), I find it odd that the cute girl (played by Elizabeth Cappuccino) would even have the slightest romantic interest in the nice guy geek Zach played by Owen Campbell; sorry but those of us who fall into the "late bloomer" category know that growing up, the most we could hope for from the cute girls was to end up in the friend zone and foolishly hope that one day she would wake up and realize that the nice guy is the guy for her (BALONEY!) That subplot reeked of a writer's fantasy to me.

One particular standout was Sawyer Barth as the eighth grade boy from another school who accidentally gets caught up in the violence. I must say, this young fellow gave a very underrated by convincing performance in a supporting role.

Finally, a few points about how the ending unfolds as it does left me somewhat confused. I could not understand why one particular character behaved a certain way, nor did I understand why someone else did NOT do something that should have been fairly obvious. That's all I want to say since I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I give it a recommendation if you like dark coming of age stories.

An engaging teen thriller from 2017. When a pair of high schoolers meet a third friend things go from playful to deadly when a samurai sword is introduced. The sword, belonging to one of the friends' brother, played by Charlie Tahan (he played Zac Efron's brother in Charlie St. Cloud), is brought out to a forest clearing for the kids to play around with (under Tahan's protestations), the usual game of 'let me see it' gets one of the friends killed but instead of calling the authorities, they leave the sword & body behind & try to put the tragedy behind them but when the dead boy's parents start to query as to his disappearance, Tahan & his best friend, played by Owen Campbell, soon drift apart trying to maintain a shaky normalcy (especially w/Campbell attending to a crush, played by Elizabeth Cappuccino). When Tahan's demeanor soon changes (normally he'd be more of introvert but all of sudden he shows up plying drugs at a party) & another classmate is found dead (from an apparent suicide from a fall from a bridge) Campbell doesn't buy it. Haunted by nightmares due to certain facts not adding up, Campbell discovers the sword & body have gone missing which as the last third of the film gets underway, friends now enemies must clash. Borrowing themes & plot details from movies like River's Edge & Mean Creek, Times uses its meager budget & no name cast to its advantage getting great perfs from the mostly unknowns while also evoking a great milieu of bored suburbanites getting in trouble & finding themselves way over their heads. Also starring Amy Hargreaves (she played Dylan Minnette's mom on 13 Reasons Why) as Campbell's mother.

Snowy or rainy days are moody and great to stay home curled up with a coffee, hot chocolate, or beverage of your choice watching films. What I just wrote is an example of "setting" and it works powerfully in Super Dark Times. The question I will answer in this review is: "Does it work well enough?" I have to report, I didn't think so.

In preparing for this review I watched and reviewed Mean Creek with Josh Peck in a surprisingly good serious role. Someone said they were similar movies. I actually think the Peck film is better because it doesn't play tricks on you, it just "is what it is." The third act of Super Dark Times has some plot and characterization issues. So much in fact that I started losing interest. I rarely lose interest in 3rd acts. The lame at best, predictable at worst ending is satisfying enough but I felt let down by this film.

Kevin Phillips is a new director and I applaud him for the moody New England look of the film. After that, I thought all the males were substandard for the movie and they really brought it down. The females did great acting work and helped make the situations believable. Screaming, bleeding, and breaking things are really the only parts of this film that flesh out these characters. I truly enjoy mood and cinematography in a film but it should go in concert with a simple story that plays out, credits to credits rather than one that makes you work until you literally get a headache. All the cool photography in the world can't compete with ibuprofen there. It had some good parts, and I look forward to what Kevin Phillips does in the coming years. This one didn't do it for me.

It doesn't have the most original story but it definitely lures you in with its nice cinematography and calm/dark vibe. Teen actors were all decent and felt like actual teens. The time and place it's set is nice and it works well with the story.

Two very good friends get involved in an accident and they have to keep this a secret.

Super Dark Times is phenomenal at executing a realistically shocking incident that leaves teenage characters with complex emotions and certainly scarred for life. This really feels like what 2004's Mean Creek was intending at attempting to do, which it did remarkably, but this version of the psychological concept is faster, darker and does so much better at digging into multiple details.

It sure does follow the stereotypes of teens doing adult things like smoking weed, swearing and discussing sex. However, that occurs in the first act that kicks off like any other coming-of-age story. Super Dark Times tags along to the stereotypical teenagers who accidentally get themselves involved in a horrific and shocking incident that starts a big mystery with dark twists.

This film is completely overlooked, underrated and disregarded in the sense that it's truly one of the most realistic and emotionally effective drama-thrillers of all time. After the incident that compels us into the stirring plot, we witness teenage characters who behave exactly how any rational human being would react after such a shocking event. The performances of the every adolescent cast member is absolutely astonishing and lifelike.

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Totally bored today so I surfed flicks and happened across this one.

It's actually not too bad.

It's definitely tense and oddly not shocking!

It has that teenage creepy, but not silly or flowery.

The end isn't what I expected but generally it is a pretty good watch.

The main characters acted well, considering their ages.

The 1st part of the story totally could happen and then it went a direction I hadn't considered. Almost has an Eden Lake feel, but in a different way. Almost.

Good for a rainy after school day. Or Sunday.

Some nostalgia of the time laced throughout which aided the flick.

It's been awhile since I've seen a movie that started off quite promisingly only to go so absurdly off-the-rails. It's certainly a well-directed film with a strong grasp on tone and boasts a number of striking visuals and a haunting score. The first act was especially strong and, despite its dark content, evoked a sense of realism. Sadly, this is a quality that the film seemed to progressively lose with each passing minute, ultimately stumbling into a third act that felt completely forced and even nonsensical. The key character arc of the film just didn't work, plain and simple. His character wasn't established or developed enough to justify his actions and the result was a finale that felt hollow and exploitative. The movie takes itself incredibly seriously and for awhile it seems like it may justify that seriousness with something of substance. Instead, the effect is akin to a teen with a joint in his mouth saying "whoa man, super dark times. like, super dark." It's hard to even look at the title of the film without smirking now. Wish I could give it a higher score for its undeniable strengths, but alas that third act casts too dark a shadow. At the very least I can see this director going on to do some cool things, especially if he can get his hands on a better script.

Strong 2/5

Mostly chill teen drama of some boys hanging out till they find some things of a marine brother and things get dark fast. Not sure why others didn't like this movie but this is only my second time seeing to which I really enjoy it especially the atmospheric scenery is incredible! I crave teen movies for some reason. Kind of a memorable disturbing film that I'd recommend to anyone. A few didn't like the last act I think it's perfect the way it is!

The plotline starts of super promising, almost to the point where you feel like you are going to watch something AAA class. But then all of a sudden everything slows down, almost enough to make you loose interest and for way too long.

Then everything goes off the rails and happens all at once. Interesting concept, too many missed opurtunities, but still a better than decent movie.

Director Kevin Phillips' SUPER DARK TIMES examines the aftereffects of a sudden tragedy, and its ensuing panic, on a group of friends. Most of the story concerns Zach (Owen Campbell) and his disintegrating relationship with his best friend, Josh (Charlie Tahan). They both know what happened, and that their lives will never be the same.

The tone of the entire movie is bleak, with only hints of poignancy here and there to break it up. It's maddening to watch as Zach encounters his "dream come true" with schoolmate, Allison (Elizabeth Cappuccino), only to have it utterly destroyed by his involvement in the crime.

There are some shocking developments along the way, with Zach's mind being overwhelmed by it all. He's the central character, and Campbell makes him believably vulnerable. As things spin increasingly out of control, Zach realizes that only he can stop it.

This is one of the best teen movies since RIVER'S EDGE...