Spoiler free review: Darklands (1996) Dir. Julian Richards Where to watch: Prime Video In this 90's spin on The Wicker Man, a newspaper reporter is lured into a conspiracy of pagan rituals and human sacrifice when he investigates the death of a steelworker. This is gritty blue-collar working-class reimagining of the folk horror cult classic. We’re relocated from the Scottish Isles to a remote Welsh setting and the maypole loving cult switched to a hardened misfit gang of gypsies. The comparisons are endless and hard to overlook, but if viewed as a standalone this has its enjoyable moments. A recognisable face in Craig Fairbass (Villain, Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance, Cliffhanger) provides a good turn as our protagonist, offering more depth than the usual hardman persona he’s renowned for. The beginning is slower paced, but the latter half ramps up the tension delivering a predictable but satisfying end. The tone of this film is true 90’s Britian, a colour palette of dark greys wash over the screen adding a sense of foreboding the film needs. Overall Darklands hasn’t aged particularly well and does fall into a lot of tropes that lay strewn throughout the genre. This independent thriller has a depressive feel and suspense in the latter half so may appeal to some.
