Super Dark Times (2017)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Initially, I was "super" excited to see this film. The trailer looked pretty good, it made it seem like one of those movies that you keeps you on edge until the very last shot. After watching Super Dark Times, I can almost assure you, this is not one of those movies.Super Dark Times labels itself as a Thriller. The trailer was made in such a way for you to believe that too, for the sole purpose of getting you interested in what is actually a snooze fest. I actually didn't hate the movie; the cinematography was excellent, the music was great, the overall tone of the film was unique, and it offered some pretty decent performances from its young stars. Quite honestly, it's one of the only films that I could actually bare watching that contains teenage main characters (some others are IT and Kings of Summer, which don't get me wrong, are far far better than this movie). What really irks me about this film, is that it has absolutely zero identity. I would've liked it a lot better if it was just a high-school coming-of-age drama and didn't try to be a serious thriller. Because the film really did capture the image of high schoolers today almost perfectly.This film is boring and fails miserably as a thriller. What seems as attempts to build suspense just feel useless given the terrible, loosely thought out plot and character development and design.There are also some very strange sexual undertones in this movie that virtually make no sense and serve no real importance towards the plot, which is already lacking.Don't get me wrong, some people might really like this film, most likely the younger crowd. Personally, I was hoping for this movie to be good myself but I was sadly disappointed. I love movies that stray away from the mainstream and/or use small budgets like this. Super Dark Times definitely had potential to be something unique and memorable but that was definitely not the case for my experience with this film. Overall, I guess it's a solid debut for director Kevin Phillips but I'll quickly be forgetting about this one.

Zach and Josh are best friends for a long time, but one event has changed it all. Josh accidentally killed one of their friend. together with another kid, they keep it hushed and cover their tracks. little that they know, what comes after that is more terrifying.there are three types of people dealing with this current situation that they are struggling to live with. one of them is really mature and careful about it, the other is trying hard to conceal it even though it showed from his expression and gesture, and the last one really lose it and fall to a pit hole of super darkness state. maybe the title suggested Josh's state. and everything about the film is quite good on the details. Zach can't have a normal relationship with his dream girl anymore even when she actually has opened herself to him. Josh acting very weird and completely not himself, and the other boy is very careful. life will never be the same again for the three of them. there's also a good friendship drama and also shockingly heartpounding sequence that i can't reveal in this review.i just feel that they go on a little bit soft on the friendship drama. there are some dialogue that is not that necessary. and something about the fact that the boy that Josh was accidentally killed is poor and Josh is a middle class citizen, something could be explored more. but overall, it is a good film that has a potential to be a great film.

I don't feel like I can say much about this without spoiling it, so I'll just say that while it's well made I definitely didn't 'enjoy' it and I'm not even sure I'm glad I watched it. The main character is hard to like much or root for and as for the plot, well, let's just say the film's title is accurate. Don't go in expecting a horror (it's not scary and there's no joy to be found in any of the violence). It's more a coming of age film by way of something like Irreversible (though not quite that dark). I've definitely never seen anything quite like this, but nor am I in any hurry to see anything like it again.

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.