They Wait in the Dark (2022) Poster

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3/10
Calling this a "slow-burn" would be entirely too generous
jajajoshua11 February 2023
Don't be fooled by the clever, creepy title. The twist isn't worth the work to get there.

This movie is essentially a twisted little melodrama disguised as a horror film. Aside from a couple sprinkles in the middle, no actual "horror" even occurs until the final minutes of the film.

And the acting from the two leads is atrocious. I spent much of my time trying to figure out who was worse: the main character (whose acting lacks any range at all) or the ex (who makes every obvious acting choice it's possible to make and who should note that when you light a cigarette inside a car without a breeze AND it's already lit, it's not necessary to cup your hand around said cigarette).
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1/10
The 10/10 reviews are friends of the filmmaker, don't believe the hype
haleemon-7431313 October 2023
I have no idea how this movie got decent ratings. I watch a ton of horror. For horror movies to be exciting and enthralling, you need to have good actors. That's why a lot of horror is trash: The acting is usually pretty terrible. This movie is a prime example. The forced, over-the-top acting took away from the storyline and the twist (which was actually pretty decent). The only thing I liked about this movie was the friend's one-liners in the car. I chuckled. The rest of the movie was bad. If you like true horror, do not... I repeat... do NOT waste your time on this. I did it for you. You're welcome.
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2/10
leaving this review as a warning
zanderbuteux25 February 2023
Not good, not 100%. Was drawn in by the 100%. Don't do it. This is my first ever review, i started an account to leave this specific review. I'm leaving a 2 to hopefully break that current rating to a more realistic expectation. However, I honestly regarded it closer to like a 3.25. It's a slow burn like a wet fuse to dynamite - is it? Is it happening? It's happening? Is it? Okay well now i'm invested because apparently i'm already halfway through. Ohhhhh oh okay. Annd it's done.

For what they've accomplished as an indie with low budget? Mmk, i guess. There were just too many moments with the writing and the acting that i couldn't bear: high presence of poorly delivered poorly written lines.
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2/10
Horrible low budget flick
gunn-wrights19 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Usually, most horror films are low budget, and that's OK - if they have decent actors, or decent plot, or decent twists etc... etc... this movie had NONE of these elements!

So, this story was about a kid that 2 lesbian (bi?) women adopted - can't remember if they were married or not - not that important! But, the 'nice' woman seemed to be on the run from the 'evil' woman, with their son in tow.

Eventually, they go to their old farm house, where the 'nice' woman killed her abusive mother, only to find out the house is haunted. Of course, at first, you think it's haunted by her dead mother - but no! As the plot unfolds you find out that these 2 women didn't 'adopt' this child - they kidnapped him, and killed his real mother, and now she is on a rampage to kill these 2 women. Which she does in the end, leaving the kid to go off with this other woman he barely knows, a high school friend from the 'nice' woman's past.

RECOMMENDATION: SKIP IT! That was horrible. I didn't even plan on watching this, it just started playing and I was too busy to find something else.
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1/10
Terrible - not a 7.2 or 100 RT
ladreyfus16 February 2023
The movie does have a terrible twist. Bad acting and stupid screenplay. Does not deserve a 7.2 IMDb rating or 100% on RT. Idk how the critics gave this 100% something must have been wrong with the calculations. Not very scary. It is a horror movie. Short script strung out. U have to wait until the end before anything actually take place that my be considered scary. If your an idiot. I wouldn't pay to watch this...if u must watch wait until it's free. There is no lesbian nudity so if that what you were hoping for....sorry. If your killing time and are super bored wait and watch this movie for free.
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1/10
The corpse blinked...
emmakosullivan19 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The worst horror movie I've ever seen. We got sucked in by the 100% on rotten tomatoes. How that even happened is completely baffling. Never straying from IMDB again.

The writing was so weak, the sudden flip in Amy's character made zero sense. If she wasn't possessed by her mother than why the flip in character? Took an hour before anything actually happened in the "horror" movie and even still it barely hits the thriller genre.

The direction and editing is questionable to say the least, a dead body blinks. The kid was the only redemptive factor - doing the best he could with some terrible writing. The "will he won't he" at the end is ridiculous.
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10/10
Unexpected
whitneywegmanwood11 February 2023
I pride myself on being good at guessing the twists and turns of almost any film I watch. My husband gets annoyed that I guess the ending at only 15 minutes into the movie. However, this one got me. It subverted my expectations of the genre and made me think I knew what was coming. I did not know what was coming... at all.

Aside from the excellent story-telling, the cinematography was beautifully shot and the acting was honest and naturalistic. This was one of the more satisfying horror films I have seen in a good long while. I definitely recommend it for a weekend watch. Or weekdays, I don't dictate your movie-watching times!
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10/10
Thought provoking horror
topbekua6 January 2023
Veteran Horror director Patrick Rea is back with a new film starring the Sarah Mcquire. This time the director brings in modern societal challenges to the movie world. The acting performances by Mcquire and her co star Lourie Catherine Winkle are loaded with intrigue. The audience discovers the dark pasts of each of these characters as the movie plays out. Each actress did an outstanding job in their portrayal of these rogue characters. Can you escape your past? Would you do anything to get what you want? Who are they? How long do they wait for us? As the audience these are the questions we must answer.
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10/10
Enjoying the movie then BAM!
talonwraeth-129 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Let me say up front I really enjoy indie movies. Especially horror indie movies. I was sitting there watching the movie. Rooting for the Amy and Adrian to keep safe from Judith. But know she is hot on their tail. Judith is scary. You know of course that Judith will find them. Then all the crazier stuff starts to happen. I mean I was in for the ride. Watching all the character interactions which was awesome. Then it got real and things started to get crazy. I was getting worried for Adrian and Amy. Knowing Judith was closing in and things happening at the farm house. Wow, I want to watch it again right after it ended. It was soo good! Thank you guys!
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9/10
To each their own. Give it a look.
ehenderson-598022 March 2023
While I enjoy reading film reviews, I am always cautious about putting my faith in another's opinion. Disclaimer noted, you can take mine for what it is worth. I am not a huge fan of the horror genre. (Stay with me) To me, there are common threads of cinematic elements often absent from this type of film. To the die-hard loyalists, this appears to be an acceptable part of the amalgamated enjoyment of the niche.

This is my second look at a Rea feature, ("I am Lisa") being the first. One of the primary reasons I gave "They Wait in the Dark" a take was due to Rea's simplistic approach in "Lisa". Sometimes less is more. One of the drawbacks for me in this realm is the gravitation toward over-the-top and gratuitously excessive gore. For others, this is part of the draw and appeal. To each their own.

I am looking at this film through a comparative lens. If you're expecting "Schindler's List" or "Shawshank Redemption", you're not going to find it. "They Wait" is a departure from the excessively gratuitous gore infused with a plot centered on human relationships. However, if you want to compare apples to apples and looking for horror, make sure to give "They Wait in the Dark" a chance.
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10/10
Shocked me!
jfecher-461512 September 2023
I had the pleasure of screening this at a movie theatre in Kansas City, where this film was made. I had the pleasure of meeting the director, Patrick Rhea and the lead actress, Sarah McGuire, both super nice people and did a q&a.

The ending of the film actually did shock me. It was a pleasant surprise.

For me, it was so cool seeing a film that was filmed in my area by local filmmakers.

As you can tell it's a low budget horror film, it didn't take away from the great performances and shock factor of the ending.

I would recommend giving it a shot with an open mind. You might be pleasantly surprised!
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