Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE STRANGE DARK [Waco Independent Film Festival 2025 - Waco, Texas]
The intention behind "The Strange Dark" is economical and a bit like a Twilight Zone episode. It uses the best of it possibilities while skirting the edge of believability. This is anchored by a hyperactive and yet bizarrely entertaining performance by Caleb Scott as Edgar, a scientist who has found an interesting gift and discovery that supposedly everyone can use at some point. What the film does is stagger the narrative using a back and forth trace which doesn't employ time travel...simply perspective. In that way it works very well since the screenplay allows it to fit together very nicely. There are very few players and while some actions come off slightly flimsy, all have a point. The baddies in a way are Maria (Carmen Borla) and Frank (Bates Wilder) who seem to have a Boris and Natasha thing going but without the romance. Edgar is obviously the squirrel. Nili Bassman grounds the story as the matter-of-fact mother Susan who has to make the biggest journey in the film without overacting. Again the film's screenplay helps bridge a lot of this despite a little bit of technobabble.
The stakes begin to rise and the good thing is that a lot of the actions don't hold back. There is a side story which has to flow in for the dramatics to make sense and balances the Edgar storyline. The actual discovery is a bit convoluted but its visual representation without the production actually having to create it actually make sense. Ultimately the goal of the film is simple but leaves an open world despite the fact that many rocks remain unturned and a certain technology unexplained. The humor between Maria and Frank is good at times but seemingly tries too hard yet gets the job done. "The Stange Dark" that is the reflected in the title is a neat idea but feels more metaphorical than anything else because of its reference to three stars with one slightly faded. But in terms of showing proof of concept within a restricted budget and location, the film works quite well. B+
By Tim Wassberg
