Lights Out (2016): Dir: David F. Sandberg / Cast: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Maria Bello, Billy Burke: Like The Conjuring and its sequel we are given another triumphant horror film where good vanquishes evil. This one regards facing fears and stars Gabriel Bateman as a young boy startled at night by demonic images as well as his mother talking to her unseen friend Diana. Teresa Palmer plays his grown half sister who arrives to pick him up when another episode occurs. Before long she to is faced with blackened images of Diana who seems to haunt wherever and whomever comes between her and their mother. Palmer believes Bateman because she saw the images when she was young and it resulted in the death of her father. The film opens effectively with Billy Burke playing step-dad who is mangled by Diana at work. Diana's secret is that she needs the dark and fears the light and can apparently make lights turn off. Maria Bello plays their mother who has a past of mental illness and depression. She is affected by Diana after they initially hooked up at a hospital. She is estrange from her daughter but wants desperately to connect with her son but Diana does not like to share. Alexander DiPersia as Palmer's boyfriend is a surprise in the sense that he is written totally opposite then what our first impressions might be. Director David F. Sandberg makes creepy use of lighting while the bizarre image of Diana add to the tone. In the end it is silly but fun leaving viewers with their lights on and eyes open before that dark shadow looms any closer. Score: 9 / 10
Review of Lights Out
