A Dark Song

2016 Directed by Liam Gavin

Not everything can be forgiven.

A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them what they want.

Catherine Walker Steve Oram Mark Huberman Susan Loughnane Nathan Vos Martina Nunvarova Breffni O'Connor Sheila Moloney

Alternative Titles

다크송: 저주의 시작, Ritual del más allá, Песнь тьмы, Темна пісня

fantasy drama horror mystery

100 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Biscoito18 ★★★★ 9

This film is not for every horror fan. Not only is a slow burn with practically only two characters, but it also relies heavily on the power of imagination. If you seek jump scares or gore, stay away.
The real horror is inside the protagonist Sophia, brilliantly played by Catherine Walker. The horrible feelings that she hides inside, including the crave for revenge and the emptiness, are nothing compared with the horror that would be finding nothing that could heal her hounds after putting so much hope in this last chance for healing.
The house used for the ritual is very well filmed. You are always guessing what is happening across the room or down the corridor. The real events…
Review by nathaxnne (hiatus) ★★★½ 30

A Quick Note On Magick
Magick is real. Magick always works. It doesn't always work the way you want it to and not always on the timeline you might have had in mind. It always costs and what it costs is proportionate and symmetrical to the desired. What is taken is taken forever or for a little while or for a very very long time and if it is returned it comes back as something else other than what it was when it was taken and it might not be recognizable any more as what has gone. Part of the problem is that we do not truly know what we are and cannot see and grasp the whole of what…
Review by matt lynch ★★★

Treats the occult like a procedure, diagramming steps almost like a physician might lay out a path of treatment. Sort of unravels once it decides to start answering some of its questions but still novel and patient.
Review by Marianna Neal ★★★★

This is NOT a horror film for everyone, and there are two reasons why. First of all, it's definitely a slow-burning movie where the focus is on the situation itself rather than a chain of events. Second, A Dark Song really approaches the ritual with a lot of attention – it's not a glamorous portrayal of witchcraft, it's drawn out, it's unsettling, it's dirty, it goes for realism, and it doesn't yield immediate obvious results. If you have an issue with either of those – I don't think this film is for you.
That being said, I really enjoyed A Dark Song, particularly because of how different it was from other supernatural films based around rituals. It's a beautifully shot,…
Review by Hollie Horror ★★★½ 1

After watching Nicolas Roeg's Puffball, it was only fitting to follow it up with another Irish horror film centering rituals and magic. Where Puffball was only vaguely genre certified, A Dark Song steeps itself in atmospheric horror. I find the voice behind the door far more frightening than the physical manifestation of horror that followed, but this is one of those movies that will linger, an enigma shrouded in dark magic, I don't know if I'm dedicated & determined enough to decode its mysteries but I was moved by the haunting mood provided by the lead performances, Ray Harman's incredible score and Cathal Watters' cinematography.
Review by Dale Raulerson ★★★★ 6

There have been some really wonderful debut horror films in the last few years, and A Dark Song falls into that lot, by way of Irish writer/director Liam Gavin. Most notably he showcases a penchant for calculation in both his filming and his writing, where every scene is staged carefully to elicit a certain feeling or perspective, and the incredibly detailed rituals and processes of the plot are laid out painful detail. Together, it creates a film that establishes the world that it lives in, the rules and the methods, and carefully works within its own boundaries and guidelines, no matter how fantastical they grow to become.
The first thing I noticed out the gate is that the film is…

Recent reviews

Review by Chloe ★★★

What the fuck did I just watch
Review by doctorinsermini ★★

Otra película del subgénero "Terror monótono".
Review by Trenton ★★★★½

Well that was unexpected. Was thinking I was going into some shit horror movie and ended up with a movie about learning to forgive.
Review by Colin Patrick ★★★★★

A Dark Song is, in my opinion, one of the absolute best "slow burns" out there. This is not a movie that relies on jump scares or recycled imagery; this is an atmospheric film that evokes fear through ideas, setting, and a steady build of tension that is amplified by outstanding direction and performances. That tension never stops growing, and it ultimately leads to one of the craziest climaxes I have seen in the genre.
With strong characters, haunting imagery, and a strong emotional resonance, A Dark Song manages to show us that a horror film be both beautiful and deeply scary. The film is undeniably ambitious, and though some may find it polarizing it easily one of my favorite horror films ever... if not my favorite.
Review by Sebas ★★★

A great idea. And once you think about it you got a house. And two actors. But the tension is built perfectly. The final act may be a little beat weak. But defenitily its worth a view
Review by Loktor ★★★½

CW 44 - A horror film from the 2010s #WTWChallengeCW44
1 Haus, 1 Frau, die mit ihrem toten Sohn sprechen will und ein Mann, der das Ritual dazu durchführen soll. Mehr braucht der Film nicht und ist trotzdem sehr spannend. Nur das Ende fand ich leider ein wenig enttäuschend.
Review by vin cent ★★★

A Dark Song
Intermittently interesting, with two powerful performances throughout and an ending about as confounding as anything I’ve seen in a while. Aggressively fine is how I’d describe it, which is hardly a recommendation.
C+
Review by scoundrelized ★★★½

Summoning is an
endurance test for those who
seek out what's beyond.
Review by sandman642 ★★★½

Film #55 in my 2nd Hooptober Challenge
Six films released in a year ending with 6 (#7)
This was a very engaging slow-burn of a black-magicky kind of horror. I'd never seen a movie explore a months-long ritualistic ceremony such as it's depicted here, so I was pretty fascinated by the way the story progressed, and by how the two relatively damaged characters dealt with the rigors of the ritual and the uncertainty of its results.
Not sure I was 100% on board with how it ended and what it meant, but it's definitely worth a watch!