Review: The Darkest Hour (2011)

I'm really no good with scary films. Gore doesn't bother me so much, if something is gross I'll just look away, but what absolutely kills me is suspense. So when it comes to this kind of genre, alien invasion films are totally my thing. Although, it's very rare that I actually enjoy one. In 2011 you got the trailer for The Darkest Hour no matter what film you saw at the cinema, and it did actually look pretty good. We never got round to seeing it though and it's just been one of those films at the bottom of the list. Until last weekend...

From what I remember, the trailer told you enough to spark your interest but not enough to spoil the story line for you. Aliens have invaded in Russia, and they're attacking through the power supplies. Oh, and they're virtually invisible; terrifying, right? Enough to make you nervous watching it, I watched this film with a pillow permanently raised over my face waiting for an invisible alien to drag off one of the cast!

Let me just be straight up and honest with you. This film was really, really bad. Watchable though, because you can have a lot of fun shouting at the cast as they make stupid decisions. They may be the only people who survived this awful alien attack, and so in their minds the first thing they have to do is find their way to the American Embassy. Why?! To get there, they decide to walk through a main road as wide as a UK motorway, rather than underground. Why?! There was a rather fantastic plot hole that I won't ruin for you that was hilarious! I actually really enjoyed this film, it wasn't amazingly written or logical in some places (from what I can remember) but I remember really enjoying it.  I am very intrigued by this plot hole, do tell....

Okay, okay, I don't think it's much of a spoiler to be honest. There's this moment where the group gets thrown into the river. All but one re-surface and swim the short distance back to that submarine, but one of them somehow ended up a mile away inside a bus?!

Oh, it's such a shame because there aren't many films that I don't like. Honestly I'm really very easily amused. The only film in the history of ever that I've turned off half way through is Superhero Movie, and the last film I disliked as much as this was Knowing, a whole 6 years ago.  I have to agree, The Knowing was horrendous, possible one of the worst films I have ever seen and one of film history's worst endings EVER!! If you've never heard of The Darkest Hour or can't remember it, here's the trailer.

Don't get me wrong though, I didn't hate this movie. In fact, I thought the idea behind it was sheer brilliance, and I'm hoping that maybe someday, someone will do something similar, but better.