The Other Side of Darkness

Director - Adam Deierling (Genesis, The Creature of Stark Hills)

Starring - Maggie Callahan (Acts of Violence, Judas and the Black Messiah), Scott C. Davis (Drop the Beat, Soupernatural), and Olivia Billings (Ding-Dong Ditch)

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Drama/Adventure

Tagline - "Who will you become when the power fails?"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     In years passed I would often skip horror for a month as a way to recharge my batteries. I try to watch and review at least one horror title a day which can wear you down over time. As a way to combat that I would take a month to watch other flicks that I’ve been sitting on. It was mostly as excuse to watch the various exploitation flicks that Vinegar Syndrome, Impulse Pictures, and Blue Underground was releasing but I still kept an eye on indie releases. April has felt something like those months with the dozen or so non-horror titles that I’ve been asked to review. I don’t mind to step out of my beloved genre from time to time and I’ve actually enjoyed myself for the most part. Several weeks ago I was asked the review the drama The Other Side of the Darkness from director Adam Deierling. I was curious after seeing the film’s artwork and decided to check it out. I want to thank Adam for reaching out to me and letting me know it’s available to stream for free on Tubi. 

      The film follows a teenage girl who is living with a foster family working at her foster father’s shop trying to save up money to buy her first vehicle. As the world suffers from rolling black outs and power failures, she finds herself on a quest to find her birth mother which lands her on the doorstep of her supposed grandfather and the recovering alcoholic that he sponsors along with a plot to destroy America’s infrastructure. 

      The Other Side of Darkness is going to be one of those films that is polarizing among viewers. Horror fans digging into it expecting a post-apocalyptic action adventure like I did may be a bit disappointed. Hell, movie fans expecting a teenage action adventure who has a soft spot for indie cinema may a bit disappointed in this one as well. However, if you are open minded and ignore everything you are being told about the film then you may appreciate it. I liked it but it’s nothing like I thought it would be. The acting in this one is a little inconsistent but it’s not bad. The characters are very grounded and the most realistic characters I’ve witnessed in a film. The cast has a lot to work with here and they do a fantastic job. They deliver the dialogue very clearly and in a natural manner and they are fully dedicated to their roles but there is a few scenes where their performances does feel rushed. It doesn’t ruin the experience but it’s evident that their hearts wasn’t in it then. The story for this one feels like it’s being pulled in several different directions. It wants to be a coming of age adventure tale where a teenage girl finds her place in life but it slowly slips into this apocalyptic type scenario where continental U.S.’s power grid fails and the three youths find themselves in the middle of it. It would be a much more effective film if it chose one path to go down instead of trying to work both in. Also, there is way too much stock footage in this one. Sure, the shots are beautiful and it’s amazing drone work but the film could be trimmed down significantly if some of these unnecessary shots were cut. Finally, this is not a bloody or violent film. It does have a little action near the end but the film is character driven without the need of blood and gore. Overall, The Other Side of Darkness is nothing like I was expecting but I enjoyed it. A lot could be done to it to make it better but it still has it’s moments as it. If you are looking for something a bit different then I highly suggest checking it out on Tubi.