Darkness Falls

The title refers to a town as well as a state of mind. Neither is worth a detour.

So bad it's almost painful. Skip it.

It begins with not one but two prologues; one character turns up out of nowhere, his introduction no doubt left on the cutting-room floor; and the paltry 85-minute running time includes 15 minutes of end credits.

A mish mash of horror-movie clichs.

The kind of movie that gets laughs entirely unintentionally.

All the initial criticisms remain spot on: the undercooked script, the paper-thin characters, and a shortage of scares. Pushing past that, however, there is still the chance for some meager fun in this insubstantial but attractive ghost story.

It is hard to imagine that Liebesman is at fault: His "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" prequel is one of the best horror films of the 21st century. Yet here he whiffs.

Obviously funding for this film was supplied by energy providers like Edison, DWP and PECO who must have known that one look at Darkness Falls will make everyone flick on the light switch - and it won't be to ward off the Tooth Fairy.

It's only slightly more enjoyable than having army ants gnaw at your privates.