Out of Darkness (2024) | Film Review

When we first open on Out of Darkness, Andrew Cumming’s prehistoric premise feels awfully familiar. A thin crew of survivors, searching for a drastically improved quality of life, at odds with fierce predators masquerading in the dark. By all appearances, the film looks to be a stripped-down mix of Pitch Black and Alien. But as they say, appearances can be deceiving.

Taking place 45,000 years ago, we begin with this merry band of few recounting via a campfire story of how they traversed the sea in search of prosperity. Led by the obvious alpha-male, Adem (Chuku Modu), these six are ready for a new life full of discovery and wonder. Along for the ride is the pregnant Ave (Iola Evans), their son Heron (Luna Mwezi), the old wiseman Odal (Arno Lüning), Geirr (Kit Young), and Beyah (an exceptional Safia Oakley-Green), who is identified as a “stray”, meaning her life is at Adem’s whim to dictate. As Adem tells Beyah at one point, “you’re for whatever I need”.

It is with near immediacy that an unseen threat emerges, a distinct howl blanketing the wind as the sun sets and darkness rises. As the pulse-pounding score permeates the frame, fear elevates amongst the group, a member is stolen, and a hunt ensues. The real question though, is who is hunting whom?

Directing from Ruth Greenberg’s screenplay, Andrew Cumming has a daunting task in front of him. Not only is this a bleak, minimalistic horror film, it is also set ages in the past. Rather than subject his audience to cavemen audibly conveying their story, Greenberg and Cumming wisely crafted a completely original language for their characters, which generates an authenticity that the film might not have accomplished with random grunts.

Thankfully, the actors can pull this off with nary an issue, and that commitment to essentially gibberish assists Cumming as he sucks us into this weary and dire narrative. As characters face terribly horrific arcs and overwhelming odds, the fact that we as an audience are sold on this language and timeframe works wonders in attaining the total immersion required.

The horror is more of the unseen variety, yet that visceral thrill of the unknown plays to Cumming’s advantage. Because of the aforementioned engagement of this prehistoric world, the audience has no idea of what monsters truly await our heroes in the dark. Anything could be awaiting our heroes out there, and audience imaginations often run wild in these situations.

When you have a timeline as far back as 45,000 years ago, one might surmise there is very little here that is reasonably timely or applicable to modern society. Yet once we reach our conclusion and the entirety of Greenberg’s story is laid bare, there also lies an unexpected depth and insight into the human condition that is only understood in those final frames. It’s a gut punch of a final reel.

Out of Darkness might carry a limited cast and scope, but the thrills are exciting and the conclusion leaves us pondering our own notion of survival in a bitter world. That alone is worthy of this frightening trip through the past.

Listen to our full podcast review of Out of Darkness on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: