Review of The Dark Half

Not a bad thriller, but surely you expect more from a collaboration between Stephen King (the story is based on his novel) and George A. Romero (who wrote the screenplay and directed the film). "The Dark Half" at times is an intelligent and well-constructed thriller but eventually it raises more questions than the format can cope with. The concept isn't exactly new but it's creatively presented, with a good balance between visual shocks and atmospheric tension. Timothy Hutton plays one of the most prestigious roles in his career as the tormented author Thad Beaumont who's forced to kill off his successful alter-ego, when he's blackmailed with exposure. Right after the figurative burial of George Stark, people close to Thad die violent deaths, seemly caused by the fictional doppelganger that isn't supposed to exist… Especially the first hour of "The Dark Half" is excellent fright-material with an obscure sequence about Thad's childhood and a delightful supernatural element involving sparrows….millions and millions of sparrows!! The second half is a lot less appealing and I wish Romero cut a few tedious sequences. The story begins to show a few holes and Romero attempts to camouflage them by adding more action and gory footage. The climax in particular is quite gruesome and not really satisfying in case you were hoping for reason or logic. All this probably is the reason why this film isn't mentioned more often. It features big names and clever ideas, yet it's an overall shortcoming project. Too bad for George A. Romero who'll still always be one of the most important writers/directors of the horror genre.